This little guy in the green shirt latched onto me at a feeding in Tent City baranguay in Manilla, Philippines. He wanted so much to be held and loved on. His mug holds the only meal he may have gotten that day…..lava-hot soup. Like many other small children there, he showed up without parents. The most likely scenario is that he is orphaned or his parents work in Manilla; leaving him unsupervised or with friends, aunties, uncles or cousins.
We drove a van full of food and volunteers to the feedings in the slums every day. Out of the back, we served up hot soup until we ran out. Then, we played with the kids….practiced English with the older ones and games with the younger ones. Hope and love come to this bleak place twice a week through Kids International Ministries.
In the front of the van, K.I.M. volunteers provide minor medical care. I can’t even remember how many infected and oozing sores we cleaned out and bandaged this month. Poor sanitation and limited clean water are catalysts for making even minor cuts and scrapes into bigger problems. This care point also helps identify individuals with more significant health problems. Whenever possible, K.I.M. provides access to doctors in Manilla and more serious medical procedures.
This boy is waiting to get food in Smokey Mountain. Life expectancy here is only 21 years old, because of the pollution created by the constantly burning lumber that gets sold as charcoal. My group had to leave earlier than planned because we were already feeling sick from the smoke that hangs heavy in the air.
Even in the most harsh situations, glimmers of hope shine. The kids of the slums have dreams and potential, like so many others around the world. Most of the help we give is “drops in the bucket” compared to all they really need. But, those drops are a pretty big deal when they’re in your bucket. May God continue to fill them to overflowing.
