My Journey with Love The Children Foundation, Davao City, 2012 - 2020 ( First posted on thebarefootfoodie.org on 3 Jan 2012 )
Give A Little Love On Christmas Day …( and every other day )
A Meeting of Paths and Heart
There was a recent weepie of a movie called “Letters to God” and how the postman played a pivotal role in making a difference. I felt like that postman after returning from our trip to Davao City, Philippines, to deliver love gifts donated by people who care enough, to the children, some already on the threshold of adulthood , at Love The Children Foundation Inc( LTCF ).
I believe that things happen by design, and nothing through chance. In Feb 2011, I went to Davao City to visit some churches and orphanages, based on referrals by a bible school classmate. LTCF left a deep impact on me. I had to cast aside pre-conceived notions of how orphanages are run, the type of people who run them, and the children themselves. By faith, and a love beyond measure, Cindy and Tony endeavoured to create a home for abandoned children from scratch, giving up everyhing they once owned.
I can personally testify that there are ties stronger than biological. It is purely semantics, whether the child has once passed through your birth canal, or via a test-tube, or a half-and half, or even through surrogate means. It is about a relationship, which has to be carefully nurtured and cultivated over time. But to compare 40 against 2, I falter in the abyss of awe at this couple, humbled by their sacrifice and compassion.
The firm resolve of the cynic in me gradually crumbled. In April and August of 2011, Cindy and Tony came to Singapore in a tie-up with a social enterprise, which I was briefly involved. Things did not work out as planned, but on those two occasions, they stayed at our house. It is not easy to feign something you are not when you are with someone 24/7.
This couple is unapologetically genuine, transparent and selfless with their motivations. There are some things which defy logic, and transcends into the realm of the supernatural. We get a glimpse of that sometimes, but can never truly comprehend how our Creator can love humankind and sacrifice his own beloved Son because He loves us just as much.
I became a sort of a grand-mother. Grandparents have the luxury of spoiling their grandkids, while leaving the gritty job of parenting aside. Every child has a right to a future, of hope, of receiving a proper education, and to be loved. It started with an idea of a group of people who are willing to pledge a fixed sum ( say, a dollar a day, by giving up soft drinks or end a caffeine fix ) a month to sponsor a child. My skin grew into a thick hide. I sent out mass emails to literally everyone I knew, or thought they knew me. I trawled Facebook to seek out long lost friends….yes, I do have an ulterior motive.
G agreed to spend one week of our vacation visiting LTCF in Davao, with a stop-over in Manila to visit D, who is like a son to me. G had been steadfastly and staunchly supportive of LTCF in a big way. It seemed only fair that he should see for himself, first-hand, what LTCF is all about.
In one year, LTCF has developed a new classroom ( where an empty plot once stood ) to be fully operational in 2012. They are accredited as an educational institution, and wil provide a Christian-based curriculum for the children. The older children are being schooled in life-skills like jewelry making, motor mechanics, food catering, and as budding musicians.
One boy is undergoing training to run a music academy which will double up as a drop-in centre for street kids to have jamming sessions. Most of the youths seem to have an innate sense of rhythm and handling of musical instruments. Another boy, Jojo, is preaching once a month in church, and he is all of 16 years old ( he had wanted to be a missionary since he was 6 )
These are no ordinary children…They have a dream to be all that they can be, and more…G and I want to play a small role in helping them fulfil it, and they can, with a little support, here and there. They do not ask to be pitied, but to be treated like any other children, with hope to face their future with dignity, and with a sense of identity and purpose. I am reminded of this song which used to be sung at campfires ” It only takes a spark, to get a fire going…”
So if you have anything to give away, this postman and karang guni team will do deliveries.
Fast Forward – 5 Years On…See How They’ve Grown
( See post on Barefoot Community, Oct 13, 2014 )
In the Beginning
Love The Children Foundation ( LTCF ) has its humble roots in 1999 as a home for abused and abandoned children in the streets of Davao. It started with a dream of Charito Chua( Cindy ) who gave up her business, savings and, one wonders, sanity, to provide a place of refuge for such as these, educating, training, loving them.
As LTCF grew over the years, it also expanded to be a community outreach centre through the giving of food, educational supplies and medical services offered by volunteers partnering with LTCF. ( www.lovethechildrenfoundation.org )
Feb 2011
I Would never have imagined when I first visited LTCF in Feb 2011 that it would be the beginning of a beautiful friendship with Cindy and her husband, Tony, and that LTCF would adopt me into their family.
At that time, LTCF had launched its fledgling livelihood projects, with the older children embarking on peanut brittle ( our local equivalent of “kong tng”, only much nicer and doesn’t stick to your teeth ) and fresh water pearl accessories. Sales were erratic.
The pearl bangles, ear-rings and necklaces sat patiently and forlorn in a glass display case at LTCF, waiting for the occasional visitor to its premises. Peanut brittle was sold at small stands in far-off corners of some shopping malls. Those buying the brittle did not know about LTCF and the people behind it.
I bought some pearl accessories to test out the Singapore market. It took some getting used to, as pearl has this “aunty” connotation. With some tweaks, they took on an edgier look, and I could wear them with more confidence.
Dec 2011
I returned to Davao again, this time with G, A and our helper, L, to spend Christmas with the folks at LTCF. D was not with us as he was happily enjoying the ski slopes with his god-parents somewhere up north.
Before this trip, the children had sent me their wish-lists for Christmas. I circulated them to friends who passed them on to their friends. ( Good to have friends… ) The wish-lists grew from the desired items to all kinds of stuffs that could be given to those in the Davao villages who could benefit from some glad tidings and gifts during this festive period. In the end, there were 9 Jumbo boxes chock full of goodies, ranging from lap tops, electric guitars, games, toys, books, clothes, shoes and household items, which arrived in time for Christmas.
The peanut brittle sales have improved, with the publication of LTCF brochures accompanying them. The stalls have been relocated from their far corners to a central place in the main thoroughfare of the malls.
Shella,one of the girls doing the jewelry, has branched into wire works and is working on her newly acquired skills. The wire accessories that greeted us were fresh, raw and had lots of future potential.
We were given a tour of the new school building that had sprung up, all geared up for its grand opening in Jan 2012. The lap tops, educational supplies and materials would be put to good use. LTCF also purchased a Christian homeschooling educational package and employed a teacher as well as a social worker to usher in a new year of learning opportunities.
Nov 2012 – One Year On
In 2012, Cindy was one of the 12 nominees on Yahoo Davao for those who have made a difference in the lives of people. She did not win, but in my books, she and Tony are my heroes.
Recently, I was back at Davao again with PL, a friend with a penchant for jewelry making. She has been a long-time volunteer at Batam, teaching single mothers skills to make crafts they could sell for a decent living.
At the airport, peanut brittle were prominently displayed and sold by all the shops.
We arrived on a Sunday afternoon at LTCF after the church services were just over, and the Merit Shop is opening for business. People from the neighboring villages trudge for 20-30 minutes on foot to go to LTCF on Sundays.
They are issued LTCF currency after church attendance to purchase items from the Merit Shop. There was a large crowd milling around the Merit Shop and the first items to run out were rice and food stuffs. In the beginning, many would attend church so that they can get things from the Merit Shop. Over time, the folks get fed on spiritual food while getting their supplies from the Merit Shop.
Over three days, PL taught the 3 girls, Shella, Kate and Maryann, to make beaded necklaces, angels, butterflies, and crotchet crosses. The girls learnt the beading at a comfortable pace, but struggled with the crosses they had to bear as it was their first time with the crotchet hook. I did not even venture to try.
So while they worked, I did what I do best – feeding and buying more accessories. Shella has honed her wiring skills to a far advanced level and her creations are beginning to shine. Pizza, I found out, was something which the kids at LTCF crave for from afar. Time for some reality check.
More reality checks hit home when told that some staff at LTCF do not take a single day off as they stay with the children 24/7, and the children rarely have outings. With a sprinkling of some whimsical cheer, the children were whisked off to a day at the swimming pool, with a barbeque lunch and dinner ( their favourite ) and the staff get to do manicure/pedicure/hair on a newly declared day-off.
On a dark and rainy day, Cindy brought me for a visit to the villages. It was something I could not wrangle out of as it was prearranged ( why does it have to fall on such a day as this – few things more yucky than mud on feet )
After stepping into the homes of the villagers, the mud was quickly forgotten(although it clung stubbornly to my sandals and splattered merrily on the feet ) as the scene that greeted me was no more than a rattan platform which doubled up as a bed and everything besides, and up to 6 people could be sharing that bed. There was no toilet or kitchen. Such facilities were either shared or…one can only guess. Whatever else they owned was hung out on the laundry line to dry.
One lady was holding out a basket of snacks for sale. Cindy told me that this lady would buy the snacks from another vendor and be out all day, trying to sell them for a profit of 1 peso per snack. I asked Cindy what happens if this lady can’t sell. “She has to sell them” was the reply. It was the scourge of poverty rearing its ugly head.
There was a little girl running about naked. It disturbs me that the family cannot even afford clothes for her. What does that do to her dignity and self-respect?
We who live in first world countries are clueless about what our not so distant neighbours live on. “Now you know…” Cindy said after I was quiet for most of the visit.
Moving On
I returned to Singapore with a new found fervor for collecting stuffs to be sent out in Jumbo boxes. Earlier, I did not realize that the things sent to Davao out of our excesses could have such an extensive reach. I am determined to improve the living conditions of the folks in the villages, with some help from friends known and to be befriended. Thank you so much for your barang barangs.
Footnote - This journey lasted till 2020 when LTCF transitioned from an outreach for children to a social enterprise. It marks the end of one chapter and the start of another...
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