KAPWA in action.

During a family trip to the Philippines, Yonas visited communities where children and families faced barriers that can make school harder than it should be — supplies, uniforms, transportation, and basic educational costs.

One story stayed with him most. In Bohol, the family met a guide named Silo and learned how Silo and his wife welcomed a young boy into their home after the boy lost the grandmother who had cared for him.

That story showed Yonas what one act of kindness can do. It also showed him that young people do not have to wait until adulthood to make a difference.