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Street
Stories
Hear from the children themselves...
SUSAN: Ano ako ngayon,
15…7 years old pa lang, nandon na ako sa SM, namamalimos kasi don lang kami nabubuhay,
kasama ko magulang ko/ ginugulpi ako ng ate ko/yun, naglayas ako/ Ngayon, nagtitinda na
ako. Kanya-kanya kaming magkakapatid mula nang mamatay ang magulang ko.
Nagkasasit ako sa baga - ilang beses na rin ako
nagpacheck up sabi magpahinga ako, binabalewala ko yon kasi kailangan ko ng pera.
(I am 15 now... when I was only 7 years old, I
was at SM begging since that was our only livelihood, with my parents. My older
sister would beat me up then. So, I ran away. Now, I am selling - each of us
siblings did this ever since my parents died.
I got sick in the lungs - many times when I had
a check up that they'd say I need rest, I wouldn't listen since we needed the money.)
MARK:
Matagal na akong tinakwil.
Walong taon pa lang ako, sabi nila, may iba akong magulang, pero hindi ko na hinanap kasi
sila nang nakagisnan ko.
Noon ako natutong gawin lahat para lang mabuhay, kahit may sakit, babangon
ka, para mabuhay, ganon lang yon.
Kanya-kanya kaming tulog, merong Banco De Oro,
May Paramount, may LBC.
(It has been a long time since I've been disowned. At age
8, they said, I had different parents, but I didn't look for them since I already grew up
with the people I knew to be my parents. That was the time I learned to do
everything just to survive, even if I was sick, I'd still rise up, to live, it's just like
that.
Each of us would have our own place to sleep on the streets,
some at Banco De Oro, some at Paramount theatre, others at LBC.)
SUSAN: Ako, Kuya, naranasan
ko, yung tyuhin ni Grace, pag nakikita kaming natutulog, nanghihipo.
(Me, Kuya (term for "older brother"), the uncle of
Grace, when they see us sleeping, touches us.)
JOHNNY: Sa kotse, sabi sa amin
"Sama kayo?"
(People in the cars would tell us "Come with us?")
NENG: Dapat nga bababa yung isa, kukunin ang isa sa
amin, sabi ko, "Takbo na!" Mahirap na.
(And then one of them was getting down the car and planning to
get one of us, I said, "Run!" You know, that's gonna be hard.)
MARK: Napasama ako kay Kuya Joe
Dean, unang pasok sa simbahan, hindi ko alam kung bakit, lumuha ako/ Sabi ko, makikinig na
lang lagi ako kay Kuya Joe Dean/ marami na rin akong nagawang masama…nalulon sa
mga…rugby/ naging ano rin ako, shoplifter…lahat nga… Sa ngayon, hindi ko
masasabing nagbago lahat pero sinusubukan ko pa rin baguhin.
Pag kakain ako dito sa
umaga, parang may basbas, kahit hindi na ulit kumain kasi may panalangin/ galing sa
mabuti/ pag galing sa masama, parang walang kabusugan.
Simple lang ang pangarap ko,
tahimik, gaya nong Pasko, nag-party tayo, parang naramdaman ko, may pamilya.
(I was able to go with Kuya Joe
Dean, the first time I went inside a church, I don't know why but I cried, I
said, I will only listen to Kuya Joe Dean, I've done a lot of bad things
already... taken rugby, became a shoplifter, everything... Now, I can't say
everything's changed but I've been trying to change it.)
SUSAN: Pangarap kong makatapos ako ng
pag-aaral, tutulong sa mga batang nangangailangan gaya ng ginagawa sa amin ni Kuya Joe
Dean.
(It's my dream to finish schooling, to help kids
in need just like what Kuya Joe Dean is doing.)
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Camping Experience
Minda Hears a Small Voice
During our year-end retreat in December, the
streetkids were allowed to seim after a full day activity of retreat, confession and Holy
Mass. Minda, a 21-year old steetchild was enjoying a late afternoon swim with fellow
streetkids when she suddenly felt faint and weak. She slowly sank till she reached
bottom. The children thought that she was just enjoying the swim trying to reach the
bottom. But Daniel noticed that she was not moving anymore. He pulled her out
but she was unconscious by then.
Bro. Joe Dean rushed to her side and tried to
recall his first aid. But he blacked out! He could not remember a single
lesson from his Red Cross First Aid training. He carried Minda in his arms and drove
to the municipal hospital. The doctors advised them to go to the Heart Center.
But where will they find an ambulance? God heard them and sent one. The
ambulance of the Municipal Hospital was bringing a patient to the Marikina General
Hospital and agreed to bring Minda along. Two volunteers, Sis. Weng and Melanie,
took care of Minda all throughout the night.
After a few hours, the doctors pronounced
Minda out of danger. They even allowed her to go back and join the group in
Montalban.
During the sharing time the next day Minda
recounted how she hear a small voice whisper to her these words, "huwag kang susuko,
lumaban ka, huminga ka nang malalim." Minda obeyed and with all her strength,
took a deep breath. Looking back, Bro. Joe Dean could not help but cry at the love
and mercy of the Lord. He also realized that the Lord blocked his memory from
adminsitering CPR becuase Minda's ribs are so delicate from 2 accidents she had in the
past. Had he done CPR, more damage would have come Minda's way.
We also believe that the Lord answered the
prayer of all the volunteers and the other kids who gathered and stormed heaven with
prayers while Minda was unconscious. We were rattled by that accident but we know
that God had a purpose for everything. He wants us to trust Him more and really know
that His is in control of everything.
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