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The following update is focused on the three weeks I spent in Manila visiting various Viva Network partner projects (mostly to do with Street Children). “Tell me, I will forget.
Show me, I may remember.
Involve me, I will understand.?
- Chinese Proverb

The Street Children of Manila

Rob Lilwall
2007-12-01 14:55:17

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whole, healed, humans.

You can tell I am impressed by such efforts and achievements. But of course the scale of the problem is huge. There are estimated to be fifty to seventy thousand street kids in Metro-Manila alone (Reference: Action International Ministries) and of course there are also many more millions of children at risk around the world from starvation, preventable/deadly diseases, abuse, exploitation and war (without wanting to numb our brains with statistics, one horrifically vivid illustration is that the numerical equivalent of one jumbo jet packed with kids crashes killing all on board EVERY 15 MINUTES OF EVERY DAY? that is how many kids are dying of preventable causes as we sit at our computers?imagine how much coverage that would get in our papers if they were western kids in each plane).

On another note, from my brief glimpses of horror and grace in Manila, I am also now aware of just how difficult it must be for the workers who spend their lives trying to help street children. I have seen how tiring and emotionally draining it is for them - and they must often feel the strain is almost too much (I used to find teaching in a UK high-school tiring enough). The charity which I am endeavoring to help on this big bicycle ride, Viva Network, focuses on the huge problem of children at risk around the world ? but rather than setting up new undertakings, their focus is much more on trying to support, network and encourage existing projects. Viva Network is a Christian charity which was founded upon the realization that there are already many well intentioned schemes around the world, trying in all sorts of ways to provide children with safety, healing and hope... however, many of these projects flounder and fail to achieve their potential due to lack of training, lack of support for staff, and the unfortunate inefficiency of not being connected with other similar projects in the same area. Viva Network has now set up 77 networks in 45 ...

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why the government not take the street children in the philippines
if the government we don't have care to all street children!
why we take them in the abortion house..then we have to learn the all street children!!!

steph, 2008-05-20 19:45:26

wow your story amazes me . we are doing a project on how we could get our fellow classmates to get involved on how to help the children in philippines to receive education. I would love to have a video of your testimony about your experience in the philippines if i may or probably even more pictures would be nice .
My email is keziajoy@gmail.com. Thank you so much for sharing!

Joy, 2008-03-30 05:01:01