Sunday, August 14, 2005
It's great to be here! Have we saved the world yet?!
Hi there,
So it's Saturday the 13th of August today. We were due tobe out this morning on a Street Education programme but the area was flooded so our programme for the morning was cancelled. We have plans for this evening to bring the Street Kids from Sarnelli 2 out to the amusement park and then for food. Hopefully that will go ahead. If it doesn't, we are going to try to get the bus to Olongapo tonight. But if it does go through then we will be leaving for Olongapo on Sunday morning early.
Yesterday we visited Emmahaus in Bulacan, about an hour from Baclaran. We visited an old peoples home, but it was more like an institution. They have 85 people staying there, 44 women and 41 men. They are elderly people that have been abandoned by their families. As soon as the families leave them there, they are asked to sign a contract saying that Emmahaus has the rights to look after the person. Even when the elderly people die, they have no obligation to contact the family, and they never do. It is a really sad situation. The priest who runs it has one full-time staff there and the rest are volunteers. Although he has good intentions it isn't run as well as it could be, and there is no social worker there. Phen and Vivian rang before we arrived to ask what we could bring and we brought sandals and toiletries with us for them. It was a short visit but they were so glad to see us arrive.
The previous day we were in the Redemptorist mission areas with Sister Evelyn, and were like drowned rats for the day. Rain and floods everywhere. It was a really amazing experience though, one only that photos can help describe. There are about 120 houses in the first area we visited but about 300 families. We were so welcomed though and the community even pooled their resources so we could be fed for lunch. It was a realy powerful experience.
Off to Olongapo tomorrow, until Monday and then going to the Akap Bata day care centre for urban poor families. It's been a really great exposure and well organised for us.
Will write again soon.
David
So it's Saturday the 13th of August today. We were due tobe out this morning on a Street Education programme but the area was flooded so our programme for the morning was cancelled. We have plans for this evening to bring the Street Kids from Sarnelli 2 out to the amusement park and then for food. Hopefully that will go ahead. If it doesn't, we are going to try to get the bus to Olongapo tonight. But if it does go through then we will be leaving for Olongapo on Sunday morning early.
Yesterday we visited Emmahaus in Bulacan, about an hour from Baclaran. We visited an old peoples home, but it was more like an institution. They have 85 people staying there, 44 women and 41 men. They are elderly people that have been abandoned by their families. As soon as the families leave them there, they are asked to sign a contract saying that Emmahaus has the rights to look after the person. Even when the elderly people die, they have no obligation to contact the family, and they never do. It is a really sad situation. The priest who runs it has one full-time staff there and the rest are volunteers. Although he has good intentions it isn't run as well as it could be, and there is no social worker there. Phen and Vivian rang before we arrived to ask what we could bring and we brought sandals and toiletries with us for them. It was a short visit but they were so glad to see us arrive.
The previous day we were in the Redemptorist mission areas with Sister Evelyn, and were like drowned rats for the day. Rain and floods everywhere. It was a really amazing experience though, one only that photos can help describe. There are about 120 houses in the first area we visited but about 300 families. We were so welcomed though and the community even pooled their resources so we could be fed for lunch. It was a realy powerful experience.
Off to Olongapo tomorrow, until Monday and then going to the Akap Bata day care centre for urban poor families. It's been a really great exposure and well organised for us.
Will write again soon.
David
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