Day 5

Bajao School - Belinda Figueira

Yesterday we had our final day at the Badjao school and spending those last moments with them brought about a sense of happiness and sadness. It is difficult to properly describe those children's faces when they light up at the smallest of gestures or the sight of them running after us as we left. I can say I really felt attached to them and I'll miss seeing them everyday. After their weekly episode of Dora the Explorer we handed out some gifts that we had previously prepared including a koala key ring, animal card, pencil and sticker. Whilst these gifts were small in size they had a huge impact on the children's day and we spent the rest of the lesson just interacting with the children.

The school is run by a group of 4 volunteers approximately 17-18 years old and the time we spent chilling out and singing with each other brought about a sense of joy and peace despite where we were. These boys and girls were the same age as us and it was lovely to talk and connect with them as though we had been friends for a long time. I am so happy to have had this experience and met such beautiful children.

Agdao Mothers Group - Ann Marie Law

Today was our final visit to the mothers in Agdao. Agdao lies on the costal region of Davao and is an area of immense poverty, everyone is a squatters. This area lacks proper hygiene and healthcare. Their homes are built over the river out of wood, and due to the lack of hygiene and disposal of waste, there is waste throughout the area. This causes a foul smell which resonates throughout the area, it is as if they are living in their own filth.

However the mothers are so warm, welcoming and friendly. They are proud of the work they do in supporting their families as most of them are housewives and do beading to earn some extra income. However no matter how hard they try, it is impossible to break this cycle of poverty. They warmly welcomed us into their homes, some only consisting of one room; no bathroom, kitchen or even bedroom, others only having a bridge over their head, shared by hundreds of others. Walking through theses houses, we could feel their eyes glancing at us, however at no point did we feel threatened. We also witnessed a miracle of a baby which had been born two days prior. It stirred up emotions in everyone; happiness and hope, seeing this new life come into the world, yet saddened at the thought of its predetermined future. This mother, along with others are forced to give birth within their own homes as they aren't as fortunate as our healthcare.

Goodbye is truly the hardest word to say. Saying our final goodbyes to these mothers was difficult, but they will never be forgotten. It is emotionally challenging to witness these images, and causes me to rethink how fortunate we truly are to be living in a first world country and the things we take for granted. To gain a sense of these conditions they go through, it is really a 'you have to be there' moment.

Feeding the Street Children - Carly Murray

Sister Monica and Sister Sheila took us to meet with Father Long and a few of the boys from Balay Pasilungan at around 7:30pm. We then headed to a park in the centre of Davao where many homeless people sleep out and it was here that we assisted them in their usual Friday night routine - feeding the street children a simple meal of plain rice and noodles with just a few vegetables. It was shocking to see so many beautiful little children who spend their days and nights wandering the streets of the city, begging for money and rifling through rubbish bins to survive.
The most inspiring moment of the night came when Father Long gathered the children for prayer, and then shortly after he and Sister Sheila had them singing Christmas carols. In a dimly lit park, full of children with no shoes and with no visible sign of their parents anyway the sound of little voices singing and hands clapping filled the night. Their circumstances are definitely heartbreaking, but they remain children who are responsive to the care offered to them by adults, they run and play and smile just as children should... But we couldn't help wondering how the rest of their night would continue after our van had driven away.

 

Posted with Blogsy