AN INTERVIEW OF DYLAN WILK BY BO SANCEZ
Backgrounder: Dylan Wilk was born to a poor family. But at a young age of 20, he started a computer games company that madde him a millionaire. Soon, Dylan operated in nine countries and ran hiw own TV channel. Then at the age of 25, Dylan sold his company for multi - million British pounds. He became the ninth richest person in the Great Britain uner the age of 30.
But one night, while lying in bed, he was distressed by a nagging question that wouldn't let him sleep. "God, why am I rich?". He asked if there was a reason for his immense wealth. Ironically, he also felt terribly empty inside. This, despite his ability to have any kind of pleasure he wanted. He had just bought himself a brand new Ferrari and took one holiday after another. But discovering that pleasure was like fire...it constantly needed more fuel to keep it going. And he realized that he would never be happy in the path that he was taking...
One day, a Filipina friend visited him. She said that she felt guilty going there because her plane fare could have built two homes for the poor. That made Dylan pause. How could you build two houses for that measly amount. He decided to investigate. In January 2003, he visited the Philippines. And for three hours, Gawad Kalinga director, Tony Meloto brought Dylan to different GK villages for the poor. With his own eyes, he saw something that would change his life forever...
BO: What did you see on that day?
DYLAN: I saw hope, More than the newlu built houses, I saw transformed lives. We were entering rather dangerous slums, breeding ground for thieves and kidnappers...yet in the middle of that was an oasis... the GK village. I saw people smiling, men working and children laughing...I've seen many other projects in South East Asia and across the world. And I've never seen anything like GK. This was different. This really worked.
BO: So what did you do after your trip?
DYLAN: I went back to England. I saw my BMW parked in the garage and realized I could build 80 homes with it, and affect the lives of 600 people. I saw the faces of children I could help. I called up Tony Meloto and told him that I was thinking of donating $100,000 to Gawad Kalinga and asked him if that was okay...
BO: What did Tony say?
DYLAN: He said, "I don't want your money".
BO: Only Tony can say something like that (Laughs)
DYLAN: He said that if I was really serious in working for the poor, I should go back to the Philippines. So two months later, I sold my BMW and flew back to Manila. And in June of that year, I made a decision to stay in the Philippines and work for GK for 7 more years.
BO: Wow.
DYLAN: I've decided to invest in the poor of the Philippines. Not in stocks or bonds. If I can help in uplifting the poor of this country, I can say that I spent my life well.
BO: So I presume that your family wasn't too crazy about that decision.
DYLAN: No! They thought that I was brainwashed by a religious cult! (Laughs). So my mother camre and spied on me. But she was soon convinced of the beautiful work, we were dping and went back home and told my sister about it. And my sister, "Oh no, they brainwashed you too!" (Laughs) But today, all of the support what I do.
BO: I hear you built an entire village for GK in Bulacan.
DYLAN: I don't see it as my village. I just provided the materials. Architects, engineers, volunteers gave their labor. Together, we built 63 houses for the poor.
BO: Amazing. What else do you?
DYLAN: I go around the world telling every that Filipinos are heroic. Because I work with them every day...the volunteers of GK.
BO: What do you see in Filipinos that we take for granted.
DYLAN: You're hardworking. You're always laughing. Always eating, always singing. Even if your problems. You're loyal. And honest. Sure, there are exceptions,but generally, that's been my experience. And you have the bayanihan spirit. The pyramids of Egypt are beautiful but they were built on slavery. GK villages are more beautiful because they're made through the bayanihan spirit of the Filipino. It's especially this bayanihan and love of family and community that makes the Filipino more valuable than gold. If you take a golden nugget and kick it on the floor for 400 years, afterwards you won't be able to see much gold, just mud. This was what happened to the Filipino... for 400 years you were slaves and then you suffered under dictatorship and corruption. This is were crab mentality came from; I don't think it's a natural Filipino quality because everyday I see the gold under the surface of ordinary Filipinos. If we wipe away the mud by bringing hope and being brothers to one another in bayanihan, the gold will shine through and the world will see it.
BO: Let me get personal here. I hear that you don't only love the Filipinos, but you have fallen for a particular Filipina.
DYLAN: (Smiles) Two months ago, I married Anna Meloto, the eldest daughter of Tony Meloto. She grew up with the GK work, so we're totally one in mission And yes, I will be having Filipino children. The best way I can secure a future for my kids is to continut to help raise this country from poverty. Instead of building high walls in an exclusive subdivision to protect us from thieves and kidnappers, I will go to the breeding ground of thieves and kidnappers and help them transform their lives.
BO: Thank you for this interview. You don't know how much you inspired me.
DYLAN: Thank you for being our partner in GK. I read Kerygma every month and I'm happy to see GK stories in every issue.
BO: It's our immense privilege to tell the world about it and ask others to joint the miracle.
DYLAN: To me, GK isn't just Gawad Kalinga. It is a part of " God's Kingdom" in this world. Thank you.
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