Kapawa hu Paglaum

Housed within the Jesuit Retreat House compound in Malaybalay, KHP has two simple facilities: our 18-person capacity dormitory is home to 16 Malaybalay-based scholars and 2 dorm staff and the IP Center which serves as office,  formation and social enterprise center.  

KHP accompanies its lumad scholars as they journey through their new lives in urban centers. We provide guidance through our holistic formation programs to enable them to remain grounded in their indigenous culture and firmly connected with their indigenous identity.

Kahimunan, a weeklong gathering done annually during summer, builds community among the scholars, They renew knowledge of their indigenous culture, share practical skills learned in college life and update themselves of the social realities of life as indigenous youth.

Scholars are encouraged to be rooted to their indigenous spirituality and faith tradition. Recollections and retreats are contextualized to incorporate their traditional beliefs and culture in the hope that the faith they ascribe to is a faith that is living and rooted in their heritage.

This formation involves workshops, activities, inputs on understanding their psycho-emotional development, including proper ways to handle technology, mass-media, peer pressure, depression, family relationships - all these done within the context of their culture. 

The  scholars are provided opportunities to put   into practice what they learn in school - at the JRH and IP Ministry offices.  KapawaCo has been launched to serve as a self-sustaining enterprise to help raise funds for the scholars' living expense allowances. 

The scholars are assigned community responsibilities akin to their tribes' structure. This is intended to draw out their inherent leadership capabilities as they are asked to carry out their assigned roles in the dorm and as event and activity organizers and participants.

After graduation, scholars are expected to return to their communities to serve 1-2 years depending on their type of scholarship. Remuneration is based on prevailing salaries. They may also serve in their village or municipality in jobs related to their tribes.

The goal of this ten-year program is to journey and empower at least 100 young indigenous peoples  who will eventually become their tribes' leaders by providing them quality education and holistic  formation. As of 2021, KHP has 44 indigenous scholars.