We all have moments from our lives that will forever be etched into our memory. The first kiss. The last look or words exchanged in a final goodbye. Giving your daughter away at her wedding. The first time your heart breaks. Single instances that hold such significance – playing over and over in our minds, having the influence to shape who we become. Some of these memories we gladly reflect on, while others we would do just about anything to forget. What I saw today doesn’t fall into either of those categories. But I couldn’t forget the smell, the sounds, or the people even if I tried.
Not to be confused with The Great Smoky Mountains, Smokey Mountain is a dump site as well as one of Manila’s largest slums. The mountain was home to 30,000 of the poorest of the poor who made their living picking through other people’s trash. It reaches over 50 meters high, contains over 2 million tons of waste, and is made entirely out of garbage. The mountain is named after the constant fire that burned the plastic, wood, metal, tires and fabric for the 40 years the dump site was active. The smoke could be seen from miles away, and over the years many scavengers died from the fires that spun of control in the flammable waste. It has improved, but the living conditions are still unimaginable. If you grew up in the first world, you’ve probably never seen anything like it before. The people are covered in dirt and if they have clothes, which some don’t, they are torn and ragged. Their homes are made out of whatever is lying around. Which, you guessed it, is more trash. Just small shacks without running water or toilets. The kids run and play on the shattered glass that covers the ground with their bare little feet, blissfully ignorant. They are completely uneducated and have been picking through the waste that is their home since they could walk, knowing nothing different. Until now.
Faith in action is an organization made up of people who have dedicated their lives to the ones who have been forgotten. A small building located outside of the slums serves as a safe place for the kids to play and the base point for their work. Over the years they have built relationships with the families living on the mountain and have done everything they can to improve the scavenger’s way of life. They started scheduled feedings in a couple different locations, a chance for a hot meal. As well as building a small preschool in the midst of the garbage hoping to educate and give the people on the mountain a chance to get out of their toxic environment. After working with them all day and seeing their way of life, obviously I was disturbed. But out of it all what I really couldn’t stop thinking about was all those sweet babies running around in the trash, and the glass, and the filth… smiling and laughing. I can’t wrap my small, privileged mind around how. How? All odds are against them and society says they will fail. That they don’t matter, that they will become nothing. But they truly are blissfully ignorant because they are surrounded by people who believe in them and are cheering them on towards success. People who are putting themselves on the line and sacrificing their own wants and needs to help others. No one is giving them a medal or recognizing them for their good deeds, they get nothing out of the deal. But continue to fight for the lowest of the low because they believe in humanity and the power of unity.
Our world is corrupt and so is our “agenda”. It’s not about stepping on who you have to in order to get to the top, it’s about helping each other and looking out for one another. Making real sacrifices for each other. Live a life where you are aware of the people around you and the opportunity you have to pour into their lives.
