Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Source Moms
During the Spaniards’ Reign, Filipinos have been told that we are lazy that’s why we are poor. Growing up, though, I’ve seen this notion untrue and unfair.
Even the most skillful and hardworking can suffer unemployment due to lack of opportunities and proper education. If every year thousands of graduates from universities end up jobless, what hope is there for those who were unable to get a degree or even simply finish high school? Sadly, the question elicits a perennial cycle of reasons. At the end of the day, we all have to individually take action in the absence of answers.
These are the conditions we saw with our group of mothers at the Source. Composed of 10-12 young mothers, this group meets every week at the Drop-in Centre for fellowship and meals. About five out of twelve of the women’s husbands work, but they are not on minimum wage. Some are earning on a daily basis by doing carpentry or tricycle driving. These mothers have two children at least and eleven at the most. Due to lack of employment and the size of their families they are having difficulty with daily expenses and sending their children to school is already a great burden. Some of the women do laundry in the neighborhood just to earn a little income.
Because of this condition, Mercy in Action has decided to create a livelihood program for them – Making Jewelry. The first batch of jewelry has already been sent back to the UK. For the second batch we have the following mothers, Rodelyn Abastillas, Rosalie Torreta, Arlyn Cabusas and Remedios Dandan. These mothers were trained in how to design and make jewellery and given tools for free. They will be paid for every piece they make earning them P2, 000-3,500 per batch. This is a huge help for them. For washing laundry, they only earn 200 pesos which is very time consuming and physically taxing since everything is done manually.
With this livelihood program the mothers can now work at the comfort of their homes without neglecting the care of their children while earning a decent wage.
At Mercy in Action, a project is defined by its end; and an end is defined by its effect. An effect is measured by how it has brought about help and made a positive difference.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Completion of Wall
On August 20, 2009, 3 p.m. the gate for the orphanage site has finally been installed. The entire perimeter is now secured and is ready for the construction of the children’s home.
The Abba Kids (former rugby users) at the Drop-in Centre are eagerly awaiting for their transfer to a family-structured and more permanent home. A place where they can take shelter 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Currently, the drop-in centre is only open Monday to Friday since the Government lent this space to us and it is closed on the weekends.
Once the children have finished their assignments at the drop in centre they still have to sleep on the streets at night. We can only do so much with limited space and facility. The intervention we are giving now could have been more intensive and broadened if we could take care of the children especially at night.
As much as possible, we don’t want these kids back on the streets especially at night. It’s such a great risk to prostitution, robbery, and rugby (solvent) or drug addiction.
Because we know, that if only they are given a choice, A HOME IS WHAT THEY’RE LONGING FOR. With the gate now installed, we are already a step closer.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
House Building
Living in a 4 Meter-Square House
Can you imagine living and sleeping in a 4 meter square house? …where your kitchen or living room literally becomes your bedroom at night? Can you bear feeling the breath of the person next to you while you sleep because it is so constricted? Can you live without closets and cabinets to keep your clothes neat?
Well, this has been the condition of four people for almost 13 years. The family of Rodrigo Sabequil, 36 years old, wife Alma 36 and two children Russendy (13 years old) and Sharalyn (aged 12). The family lives in Tapul and has been the recent beneficiary of the Mercy in Action Housing Program. The Sabequil family were very happy to move into their 20 square meter new & semi-concrete home on July 25, 2009.
They say that now, they can sleep in better sleeping positions, not just one. Their life is much, much better now. They can now sit down properly at a table when eating. They can now walk around their house without hitting their heads on the ceiling. Indeed, as poor people are able to live in better homes, they see life better and are more hopeful that good things can indeed happen even when it’s beyond your resources.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Mass Wedding
The Committee on Women, Family and Minors of the Talisay City Government held its annual (for three successive years now) Free Mass Wedding for its local residents last June 26, 2009. Headed by City Councilor and Committee Chairperson Shirley Belleza, the objective of this event is to straighten out the records of schoolchildren whose parents lack the legal marriage rites.
Mercy In Action has always been its partner in providing wine for the ceremony.
This year, our gappers- Max Hennings and Amy Shakeshaft led the toast for the 53 newly-weds during the reception at the City Hall Grounds. The youngest couple were on their twenties and the eldest around fifty. Amazingly, there were13 pregnant brides. Among the many good things we can do for others, one of the noblest would be to equip them for the future, both parents and children.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
MIA - House Dedication
A Family of 12
Synonymous to human existence is the provision of shelter or abode.
As defined by science, man’s basic needs include food, clothing and shelter.
In the Philippines however, particularly in the remote and slum areas of Cebu, there are some families who don’t have homes. If they are lucky enough to have one , it is most likely in a very poor condition.
In Talisay City, a Barangay/Community in Tapul where Mercy in Action sponsors 38 Environmental scholars, there are families who have very small and dilapidated houses. Understandably so, if people here are barely finding enough daily food, repairing their homes would not be their priority.
By the grace of God, Mercy In Action has faithfully and progressively been attending to this need.
On June 6, 2009 a short thanksgiving and turn-over activity was done as gappers Max Hemmings and Joss Goulding in partnership with Mercy in Action were able to build a new house in Tapul.
The family of twelve used to live in a house with a holed roof; and very old bamboo flooring and walls. The entire house was about 15 square meters with only 1 room and a very small kitchen that was about to collapse. Alejandro Ebo is the father. He is 52 years old and his wife is 46. They have 10 children with the eldest now aging 25 and the youngest 3 years old. Alejandro makes a living by gathering coconut wine, giving him a very meagre income of 3500 pesos or £ 40 a month.
They have been in this condition for more than 25 years. But now, they have been given a new home, double the size. It has concrete floors, galvanized iron roofing, stable walls, two rooms, a decent living room and much better kitchen.
As typhoons happen in the Philippines several times a year, they don’t have to worry anymore about getting wet due to the leaks in the ceiling. The new house is giving them more space to breathe and move.
Thank you to our partners. Without your help, making a difference to the lives of these people wouldn’t be as achievable.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Kid's Camp
On Friday afternoon the jeep, crammed with supplies (and us somewhere between it all) began up the mountains for our first Kids Camp in Cebu. It was an uphill journey in the baking heat through the mountains to carry up all the water and food we would need, not to mention the prizes! With no shower for the whole weekend (apart from a very small pail of rain water every now and again) it was a very smelly and sweaty start to a truly brilliant weekend.
On Friday evening, after setting up, explaining the rules and some chicken and rice, we set up a camp fire and sung worship songs and told stories. Afterwards 40 exhausted kids all settled down for a night in the school we where using. It's in the middle of the jungle on the top of a mountain, perfect place for a camping trip!! They all seemed very excited to be in the there we had an amazing view of the valley below and if felt very isolated. Most of the staff bunked in tents, it was a LONG night!!!!
The next day we could begin the fun and games. Each member of the leaders were in charge of a game, either a group game (like Amy's blindfold relay race) or a stage game (Max's eat the donut on the string). Suffice it to say the children enthusiastically took part. One stage game I did is 'Feel the disgusting thing in the bowl and guess'. On the video you see the baked beans being revealed, there was also spaghetti and cornflakes.
After the games, and some songs, it was time for the drama. We based each 1.5 hour session on a chapter from the life of David. We performed a drama to briefly outline each story, which frankly would have won several Tony awards if the right people were there, but this was for the kids, it wasn't for us. Highlights include Max as Goliath, rampaging through the audience wielding the traditional light-saber, Joss as David, and Tim, Michael and Ren Ren as David's cowardly brothers (inexplicably all Filipino unlike David.) I got the thrill of reliving my Year 6 role of the needlessly evil king in the guise of King Saul. I wore some underwear on my head as a crown and hammed it up massively.
After the drama Emily asked the children some questions about it, and we had some activities such as painting and making a jigsaw piece to fit in with the teaching.
The food was delicious, although I did have chicken and rice for three nights running (including Sunday night when we got home). God bless you Ate Flor, and your knowledge of cuisine. The children were clearly thrilled since it is not often they get a proper meal. They ate loads of snacks and juice too which even I was too full to eat.
On Saturday night the kids shared some testimonies which was great. They were all so thankful for this weekend and were so adamant about wanting to stick to the right path and leave the drugs alone, even get a job for the older ones.
On Sunday morning I awoke to many children clamoring around my bed, pointing and laughing. After several minutes of ridicule, I was handed a mirror: my face was considerably marked with charcoal. It was Micheal's (the MIA social worker) prank during the night. I found it very funny and it was nothing a wet wipe couldn't fix. Indeed, everyone had been similarly afflicted.
After more sessions and games, it was finally time for the prize giving. The points were sooooooo close: 32, 32, 33 and 33! So a heads and tails game was played to find the winning team - it was Spartan. Prizes were distributed but of course there was more than enough for everyone to have their pick - and the most common choice was the hand puppets!
The kids were so grateful for the time that they had had, and unlike other camps I've assisted at, many of the children thanked us all personally and it seemed like it had really made a lasting impression on them. As always, the children were all so willing to help clear up and clean, which made the process (even under the rain) go very quickly and easily.
They are already asking us when we can do it again!!!
Jeff Carpenter - Team Gap
Friday, June 12, 2009
Children's Home Fence
On May 20, 2009 the construction for the children's home perimeter fence was started.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
History
Who is Mercy in Action?
Mercy in Action is a registered charity which came about following a visit to the Philippines in 1995 by founders John and Allison Todd who met up with some street boys who hadn’t eaten for several days…
“After taking them for a meal of chicken and rice, we were shocked to see the boys taking the chicken bones away for their meal the next day. We knew we couldn’t leave without trying to arrange some more food. By the end of the week we committed to fundraising the £40 a month that was necessary for a feeding programme to be established. Our friends in Ozamiz were then able to organise feeding twenty children three times a week.”
Mercy in Action has grown far beyond those early beginnings of feeding hungry children. Through the generosity of our supporters, we have enlarged our vision, to “feeding the hungry today; equipping them for tomorrow”.
Whilst our work in the Philippines has continued to grow, we also have projects in Burma and the UK, helping, through partnership with local people, to impact the lives of thousands of adults and children. We hope, as finance and opportunity allow, to expand the numbers of countries and projects with whom we work.
Mercy in Action is a UK registered Charity: Number 1096068