Moving
encounter with Pope Francis: Testimony of Filipino street children
(Vatican Radio) One of the most moving encounters of the
Apostolic Trip of Pope Francis to the Philippines was during the Meeting with
Youth at the University of Santo Tomas on Sunday.
The Holy Father has
listened to the testimony of two street children being sheltered by the Tulay ng Kabataan foundation
(ANAK-Tnk). Fourteen-year-old Jun Chura and twelve-year-old
Glyzelle Palomar had experienced the worst in the street of Manila.
“Why is God allowing
such things to happen, even if it’s not the fault of the children? “ asked
Glyzelle in tears.
Pope Francis hugged
both children, and later asked “Did I learn to cry when I see a child who
is hungry, a child using drugs in the street, a child without a home, a child
abandoned, a child abused, a child used by a society as a slave?”
The testimony of the children
was given in Tagalog. The ANAK-Tnk Foundation has released an English
translation. We provide it below.
Jun "Michael" Chura
14 years old
Tulay ng Kabataan Foundation,
Inc. (ANNAK-Tnk)
Dear Holy
Father, My name is Jun Chura, I am fourteen years old, and I am a former
street child. Because of the fact that my family was not anymore able to send
me to school, I went away from home and left my family. Then I was feeding myself
with what I can find in the garbage. I did not know where to go and I was
sleeping on the sidewalk. I was looking for a piece of carton to make a mat.
And I was trying to overcome this situation even if my body was so dirty like
my companions in the street. They were also overcoming their situations in
spite of the fact that their bodies were dirty also. I did not know also
how to find food day after day, and what I was doing was just to wait for
people to finish their meal in restaurant, then I was asking for their
leftover. Also sometimes I was roaming around just to find broken material that
I could sell: I was looking for plastic bottles, or papers and when my bag was
full, I was selling it to make some money to buy some food. It happened also that
I was knocking at doors in the neighborhood to beg for food but often they had
nothing to give. When I was in the street, I witness also things I don’t
like, terrible things that happened to my companions in the street : I saw that
they were taught how to steal, to kill also, and they have no respect anymore
for the adults. Sometimes they were quarreling because of the things they
stole. I saw also some children who were taught how to use drugs like shabu,
cigarets or marijuana. I saw also some of my companions sniffing solvent
or glue. These are drugs also. This is what I have often seen happening to my
companions in the street. When I was in the street I was also very careful
because I saw also some of my friends being fooled by adults.
They were pretending
to give us money to catch attention and approach the children and let them
think that they will be given something to eat, or the opportunity to study and
care, but the truth is that they have other goal and they will use you, like
for cleaning their homes, and sometimes they have malicious goalls like sexual
abuse. There are so many abuses happening in the street! After a certain
number of days, suddenly I found back hope because there is a street educator
from «Tulay ng kabataan» foundation (ANAK-Tnk), who asked me if I want to join
this agency helping children living in the street. He asked me if I wanted to
join, and at first I decline the proposal. Few days after, when I learned that
Tulay ng Kabataan is really taking care of street children who are not anymore
with their families, I realized that not all people have no heart. There are
still people with hearts ready to help children in need.
When I joined «Tulay
ng kabataan» foundation (ANAK-Tnk), I was very surprised to see that there are
people really ready to help and then I started to dream again. I told myself
that when I will finish my study, I will be the one helping street children
like me before. I will be able also to help my own family and the «Tulay ng
Kabataan» foundation (ANAK-Tnk) which was the one helping me to continue my
study. I know today thaat I will be able to continue my study because TNK
(ANAK-Tnk) is at my side, and do not stop helping me and my companions from the
street. Thank you so much!
Glyzelle Iris
"Techie" Palomar
12 years old
Tulay ng Kabataan foundation,
Inc. (ANAK-Tnk)
There are many
children neglected by their own parents. There are also many who became victims
and many terrible things happened to them like drugs or prostitution. Why is
God allowing such things to happen, even if it is not the fault of the
children? And why are they only very few people helping us?
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