28/03/2016 – Easter Monday Manilla

Easter Monday  Manilla

 Map of the Philippines on the wall in the room where we eat

The day started with an early breakfast at 07.00 and we were given our tasks for the day, not on construction duty but to go to the baby clinic to help out for the morning. Was really excited about that getting to see how that area works and the staff who work there. But plans changed before we got there, and I was attached to the party going up to the Tented Village outside Manila. It was feeding day, which they do twice a week. My mind was full of ideas about what I was going to see and how I would deal with it. Driving through affluent areas and then away from Manila up into the hills it was clear to see that this was going to be a very, very poor village. the road disappeared and became just a track and we climbed higher.

This land was given to these people, many thousands, after the hurricane tore through their village a few years ago. It is a pitiful place and my reaction was just as I was expecting. being my first mission visit it was very new and very raw, the conditions they lived in the lack of help or support from their government or any agencies. No free Hospitals, everything has to be paid for in advance, even a hospital or doctors check-up. With very little prospect of work it is an impossible situation, it is like a downward spiral that has no way of coming back up. we parked the vehicles, there were about 25 of us visiting, the children were already there with their cups and containers to receive the hot Rice Stew/Soup that we had bought for them. I have to admit that I felt physically sick…..and yet these children, all of them, were happy, with big smiles and greeting of “Good Morning” it was an emotional rollercoaster! I was asked to help with the feeding along with another guy, this  have to say I found extremely rewarding and allowed me time to reflect on why I had actually decided to fly all that way to Manila, Philippines ,  at cost and time, and having no holiday available was giving up my wages too. It is the feeling of great satisfaction to know that you CAN make a difference, albeit small, and God is looking over all these people, they have the faith. The children all received their hot food with great eagerness and enthusiasm, for something was a hot rice soup??

This is their way of life, living in a situation that for 90% will not change through their lives. we finished serving the children, all the other volunteers were entertaining the children with Soapy Bubbles, balloons and just playing with them ….. most of us walked around talking to the older children and adults… young mothers with 5,6,7 children all very young, the fathers, many of which were irresponsible and just get their women pregnant year after year. No education, no birth control, so a population nightmare just happening. Children dying, children sick, and with no help available….. It is very easy to get moralistic and start shouting about rights and wrongs and the ineffectiveness of compassionate government, but Ministries like KIM do as much and most of the time more than is possible…KIM have donations coming in once a month from the USA, a shipping container full of necessary supplies for all the orphans and street kids, but each month they have to find Pesos 80,000 (£1,300) to get the container out of the dock and to their facility for distribution.

The “feeding” trip was certainly a very emotional, but fulfilling experience, one that I will not forget, and it will prompt me into considering further trips.

Feeling exhausted, emotionally, we arrived back at KIM for lunch, after which I was detailed to teach the street kids basic swimming lessons. they of course had great fun splashing around and generally enjoying themselves. I have to admit I found it fun too, the enjoyment of working with children and giving them pleasure and teaching them basic skills. (Teaching whilst cooling in the pool was also very welcome) temperatures today were nudging 40 and again with heavy humidity.

After two hours we were rotated and our next task was to go up to the baby clinic and offer help to the babies and the young children. 3 of us went up there as the rest were going on a 2nd “feeding” of the day to another “Tent Village” I spent half an hour in the nursery laying on the floor with 3 babies, 2 of which were crawling one that had not started crawling yet. Playing with babies is such an awesome experience, and this allowed the lady who was in charge the opportunity to do some things that had been waiting. One of the babies thought it would be great fun to just try climbing over me dribbling and gurgling with great delight.

Great fun for them and great fun for me and after the morning feeding it was nice to have something fun to think of. We played outside with the other children on swings, I even put skill to test and repair the chain on one of the swings, easy for me but the looks on their faces when they could use another swing? Priceless :-)

After tea we all went to the home of Miles where the students performed more “skits” for the street kids that Miles has taken under her wing. The children were again entertained and fed singing songs of celebration and having interjections from Pastor Mr Kluump. (Hong Kong)

Miles works with KIM and Mr Jeff Long she is the lady who does all the sports activities with the children and has set up her own street mission.

It was heart wrenching day, but reflecting on the day bought to my mind that me as a person from far far away from this sort of lifestyle, should actually embrace these people rather than what I have done in the past and that is to ignore it and cut myself off from it. It is so easy to have an opinion based on your own lifestyle, you know, the house the car the job the children a good standard of living, buying food and enjoying life. It is from that perspective that we look at lives like these here in the poverty stricken areas of the Philippines and other places in the world. I used to do the same, but this week has taught me so much….. But what shines through from all these children, and from the teenagers and adults, is that this is their life, they are happy, they work through the day just like you and me, but they are happy…………. a truly remarkable thing.

Tomorrow we visit A massive Garbage Dump that has families with many children living on it scavenging to make a few pesos to just survive, another area where the inhabitants sift through household waste. We will feed the children sing to them, and also on the dump we will wash them clean and trim their nails ………..