IT'S easy to take pity and feel sorry for the young cancer patients at House of Hope, Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), whose thinning hair becomes more and more apparent in the photos after a series of chemotherapy sessions.
But if one gets to interact and talk with these young children, one would realize they are actually warriors. With their little, frail bodies, they manage to brave through the physical and mental pains of cancer treatment. While many private organizations may have been donating food and other necessary supplies to House of Hope for the children, one particular organization composed of young students from San Pedro College (SPC) decided to start a different donation drive with the aim to help boost these children's confidence and to add hope amid the challenge they're going through.
Project Catch (Confidence Achieved Through Collected Hair) is one of the advocacies of the members of the Volunteer Service Provider (VSP), a student organization under the Community Engagement and Extension Services of SPC.
VSP divided its programs into three categories: environment, literacy and health where the Project Catch falls under.
In a joint interview with VP for Health Marielle Andrea Bal and Secretary for Health Maria Angelica Gallardo, they said they were inspired by how the young cancer patients were still able to smile, have fun, and be grateful each day despite the pain that they experience. In December 2019, the group was able to hold a Christmas party for the kids of House of Hope. Firsthand, they were able to see the strength of each of the kid's hearts.
"Cancer is one of the most fatal diseases that a person can acquire. Cancer patients fight every day. They don't just encounter physical concerns but also experience challenges when it comes to their mental and spiritual health. It amazes us how these patients carry their burdens, face their fears, and fight their battles with a smiling face," said Gallardo.
The group decided that gathering cut hair to make wigs for these young cancer patients will somehow help instill their confidence.
"This project is important to us just as much as it is to them. Most of these children experience hair loss due to chemotherapy and some of them dream of having hair again, and that's what we are here for -- to help these children gain confidence within themselves through these medical wigs," they said.
In January this year, they started the call for donations for cut hair but for several weeks, they lied low due to the pandemic. However, with the quarantine, people are not allowed to go to salons to have their hair cut. Project Catch saw this as an opportunity to get back on track with their project.
They initially targeted to collect 225 hair donations from all over Mindanao and produce 25 natural hair wigs. For this project, they partnered with Hair For Hope, an advocacy project of volu-MED Salon and the European Hair Factory, Inc. based in Luzon.
"The collected hair donations will be sent out to them. From there, the donations will be sorted out and made into medical wigs which will then be shipped back to Mindanao for the Kids of Hope, from the House of Hope Foundation," Project Catch said.
How to donate hair
According to Project Catch, they have encountered a few people who have been meaning to donate their hair that they let grow for so long. However, they weren't that sure which organization to go to and how to make their donations.
Project Catch saw this opportunity to really follow through and bridge this gap.
Those who are interested to donate are asked to make sure that their hair is not permed or colored and is at least 12 inches long. Below is the step-by-step guide provided by the organization to everyone who wants to donate their hair for the project:
1. Shampoo and conditioner your hair without additional styling products. Dry your hair thoroughly.
2. Tie your hair tightly with an elastic band. Tie the band below the area where you want to cut your hair.
3. Measure the length of the ponytail. It should be at least 12 inches long.
Cut your hair just above the elastic band. Don't style or put products on the hair that has been cut.
4. Place the hair in a ziplock to allow longer preservation. Put the following information: name, contact number, email address, and date of donation.
"Having met the cancer patients of House of Hope, one thing that we learned from them is strength and gratitude...Their eyes alone taught us the value of hope and that inspires us to be God's instrument of joy and perseverance for them," the group said.
For more information on this project, visit and message their Facebook page, Project Catch.
Other community projects that VSP did in the past include Project Selfy (Sexual Education with Love for the Youth), an advocacy to empower the junior high school students on sex education discourse and to further prevent sexually transmitted disease and teenage pregnancy. In the past, VSP had also done the Project Domes (Developing Ocean's Man-made Eco-friendly Shelters), a project that promotes ocean biodiversity and recovery by building dome-shaped artificial coral reefs in one of their school's adopted areas in Samal Island. These artificial coral reefs were made from dead corals, sand, and gravel.