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nina commented about Manila Philippines Street Children, On Thursday July 23rd, 2009 01:56:15 AM
I have just come back from 3 weeks of volunteering with street childres/mothers in Manila. Anyone living in the Western world should make a pilgrimage there. It changes your life.
I absolutely agree that birth control deserves a HIGH priority on Philipines governments to-do list. Obviously the Catholic church has a lot to answer for, and it is true that children are put upon this world in the hope that they will support their parents in old age. Does this justify the birth of thousands of children who dont stand a chance themselves ? Abandoned in the streets and afterwards we just have a few more kids ? Do you know what happens to these children if they happen to be born with a handicap, or a serious illness ? Our planet is suffocating with overpopulation, birthcontrol causes sufferance to nobody, and highly improves the lifequality of those who are in need of it. Indeed, some Filipinos are willing (desperate !!) to use birthcontrol, but have no access to it. No money, social (catholic) pressure, ignorance ... all these should be tackled.
It makes me sick to see the richess of the Vatican, the standard of living of those people who decide on a life of misery for hundreds of thousands, due to their stubborn convictions on birthcontrol. Let the highly placed clergy live in the streets for just a week and no pampering !
It is my conviction that it is much more useful to donate 20 $ or 20 € for birthcontrol, than 2000 per year to help the children who were born due to impossibility to get birthcontrol.
In Manila there is a place called the RAC. Regular razzias try to eliminate streetchildren from the image foreigners should have of Manila. Children - the elderly - invalids - anything nasty to look at is brought there. When I visited the Rac, 114 boys were locked up in a 7m x 7m cell. This is the citys answer to pressure from abroad regarding the problem of street children. Volunteer organizations try to help in many more positive ways : education, feeding programs, logistic help, psychological support, ...
A lot of mothers will prostitute in order to feed their children. They, too, have no acces to birthcontrol. A lot of women are regularly raped by their employers. Please, let us pray that our Pope may see the light one day and alter his convictions and directives.
Comment About Manila Philippines Street Children
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