Hilda Videro’s Reflections Through an Interview

It is my pleasure to work side by side with you to help deserving children get opportunities to receive formal education and skills training to improve their chances of a better life in future.

For the benefit of our readers, do you mind telling us a little about yourself and what compelled you to become involved in such a wonderful mission. 

In 1984 my husband, I and Henry, our two month old son, went to Liberia as missionaries. We worked in Africa until 1996. In 2006 I joined ABC Faroe Islands and through ABC I am back in Liberia working with children. As a little girl I had a dream one night where I was sitting together with African children, I took this dream as a calling to work in Africa. 

You have been working in so many different countries but then you and your husband decided to visit our projects in the Philippines in March of 2015. What is it that led you to this decision since this was your first ever visit to an Asian country? 

When I met my husband he told me that he had a calling to be a missionary in Asia. We had two interviews for mission work in Asia, but we ended up in Africa based on the need at that time. Through ABC I have followed the work in the Philippines and I talked to my husband and we decided to visit Philippines in March 2015 which was also because ABC Faroe Islands began sponsoring children in Philippines in 2014. I was happy for the opportunity to visit ABC schools and projects in Philippines.

What was your impression of the schools and projects after your visit in March 2015. 

I was so impressed with the projects in the Philippines and I am proud to be a part of this work. I went home and talked and told people about the work in Philippines inviting them to come and visit the country on a combined holiday/mission tour. I wanted people to experience the beauty of the Philippine Islands, enjoy the beautiful beaches, mountains, parks and more and at the same time visit the projects. In the projects it was my desire for Faroes people to visit the schools to interact with students, teachers, staff and management. Further, I wanted visits in the communities for us to see the homes of the students, interact with their families and to learn about their way of life. It is important to visit the communities and homes to really feel why there is a need to help these poverty stricken children. Such trips help us learn about the importance of helping and to see how a little help from us can make a big difference in the lives of these precious children and the communities. 

After one year, in March 2016, you brought two of your friends from Faroe Islands to visit the same projects. What are the things that moved you so much that you wanted to get more involved in these schools and projects and also get others to be part of this mission as well? 

The home visits touched my heart. To see the poverty and the need to provide educational opportunities for these children moved me to do something. To see children begging on the streets impressed on my mind the importance of these schools and projects and how crucial it is to support such efforts so more opportunities can be created to extend help. Things and opportunities that we take for granted in the west are hard to come by for many children in the Philippines. While visiting schools, I could see smiles on the faces of these children and rays of hope for a better future could be seen in their eyes. It is important that we continue to support such efforts so that no child remains deprived of his or her basic rights.

We really appreciate your kindness towards these deserving children and continued support for the projects. How do you see such a support growing in future so that more and more children can be helped? 

We have to continue to tell people in the western countries about the work being done in the Philippines. Tell them how we can change a child’s life and make a difference in a village or a community and ask people to come and join us in this work. 

Thank you so much for being part of this wonderful work with us and being there to extend help where it is needed. May God bless you as you continue to work for His children and you are always welcome to visit our projects whenever possible.

 Thank you for your hospitality and the opportunity to come and visit the projects. I believe it is important for us living in the west to visit projects as these in Negros Occidental, Philippines and to learn how we can be a part of this work to help children get education. I am blessed to be a part of the work in the Philippines.

Interviewer:   Maxwell Ditta

Interviewee:   Hilda Videro