As much as I never tire of seeing the successes of this mission, I will admit that I’m exhausted by the never-ending poverty. Riding from the comfort of air-conditioned transport, every street block seems to deliver another visual horror that etches in my mind. Infants sleeping on the side walk, feet away from the chaotic traffic – sometimes without a parent but 4-5 feet away and also asleep. I have visions of the wrong sorts coming along and snatching these babies and trafficking them. I’m told this does happen. The sex trade here is healthy and well-supported by traveling Westerners -- I've seen it already. Sickening. In fact so much on the street is so shocking I can't bring myself to photograph it -- hence no photos with this post.
There are the little bands of street children running up to buses filled with prospective donors, usually the white tourists like us. They bang on the windows, offering up huge smiles in the hopes of a few pesos. I can’t look into their eyes. We’ve been instructed very clearly to not give anything to these children; we’d be fined for it. Apparently there are hundreds of shelters designated for their aid. I wonder to myself why they don’t go there. Something doesn’t make sense. But at the same time, I wouldn’t begin to know how to approach the problem effectively. It’s just everywhere.
As a devoted pet owner, the other thing that breaks my heart is the conditions for animals. People steal tiny, unweaned puppies and try to sell them on the street. They are darling and I’d take all of them if I could. I just know they won’t enjoy the luxury my “kids” have had with me all of these years. They are destined for disease and abuse, and I’m pained just thinking about it. The animals that do survive to adulthood sleep in the streets and under parked cars; those that are up and about expertly dodge cars and people as if they previously learned a tough lesson before meeting a moving tire or an angry foot.
There is a striking lack of balance between the haves and have-nots. Surprisingly there are a lot of educated people, and yet, it would seem like that couldn’t be the case. It causes me to think about where I live. Right now we seem to have a thriving middle class in America. But statistics indicate a trend that’s giving way toward more poverty and unemployment and a stronger upper class. It can take generations and even centuries to get to the point that Cebu City is. I hope we wise up and find our balance as a country. This really is no way to live.
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