Philippines: More Stories

From Philippines 2011

The stories of the under-privileged in the Philippines continue to touch my heart. One soft-spoken young woman I interviewed shared her family struggles. She has four children, two of whom have heart problems. The children have low heart rates, are susceptible to fevers and disease, and lack the energy to run and play. Mom worries constantly about them. The hospital, which they used frequently when the children were small is thirty minutes away by motorized tricycle and any free medical clinic is inconsistent in its availability.

Her husband is a fisherman. The woman walks one and a half hours daily to sell the fish door to door in the local town. The price is 35 - 54 pesos per kilo, depending on the kind of fish being sold. One dollar is 41 pesos. When the rainy season comes, polluted water floods their home and the incidence of sickness rises. Times get even tougher! Food becomes scarcer and eking out a living becomes a huge challenge.

From Philippines 2011

And yet the woman sits with dignity and grace, telling her story, wanting life to be easier, but accepting and working with the daily challenges of living. The sincerity with which she speaks, and her fleeting smile, is mirrored in the sadness of her eyes -- eyes that have seen a million disappointments but today have hope. Today there is a bedkit sent by the generous people of Canada. Today her need has been understood and responded to. She expresses gratitude for the blessings her son and family have received and I am humbled by the depth of her feelings.

Donna Chantler
for Team Philippines 2011

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