Penultimate Post: Memories

Some of my homies at the Magdelena School for children of street-dwellers, in Laguna. Despite woeful backgrounds, gracious, funny, personable young men. (CCT).

Folks, in this, my second final blogpost, I thought it would be nice to reflect back on the past weeks, in part to help remind me of a range of inspiring and interesting people we came across in our travels. A little tribute if you will, kind of like at the end of Survivor when they reflect back on all the people who they have spent time with, except that I haven’t voted anybody off the island. I think of this as a little gallery of memories. I hope you are as touched and inspired by these people as we have been… Cue stirring music….

Communion… Combantrin style.
(Thanks to supporters and Qantas).
5000 kids de-wormed last week.

Mere, chillaxing with Pastora Maravic,
peeling some garlic.

Some of the youth leaders in San Isidro Village, beneficiaries of a Community Development Program (ASKI).

Lilly and Lito (sounding like characters from Billy Joel song), got a loan from TSKI. She makes saipao (pork buns) in her kitchen and husband Lito sells them from the back of his bicycle. They have been able to put their daughter through school and put a second storey on their modest dwelling.

Ingenious farming. Breeding cows without a head means you don’t have to feed them so much.

Edgar, furniture master-craftsman, in his workshop with his son, Edgar Jnr, and friends. Client of small business start up loan (ASKI).

Have to mention Meredith, a rock of calm and grace in the most difficult of circumstances, especially after she’s had six beers.

The groovy and funny women of the Leganes Community Development Group (TSKI), taking their oaths to be good businesswomen and members of church, family and community.

Mark Pedder with some of his youth leaders. Baseco Compound slum. 100 000 people. 1 sq km.

Angel (right) and Frankie (back to camera) former street-dwellers now running feeding programs and prayer meetings on traffic islands for people who society has forgotten.
(Centre for Community Transformation)

The delightful women at the Tondo Group Loan meeting. Tondo is one of the biggest slums in the world, and in the middle of it, these women meet weekly for prayer, fellowship, business and a moment of quiet in their hectic week.

Remedias Mendez, lives in a hut complex with some pigs. Runs a business. Put her daughter through Ohio State University. Wow.

The comedic duo of Ofelia and Virginia, who for over ten years have run the Community Business Branch of their little village of Salvacion 2. Both widows, so single men beware.

Arnold DIzon, Head Cheese of the Kalasag Farmers’ Co-op. Used to be poor farmers. Joined together, got organised, took out a group loan, kicking agricultural butt. (And goats)

The cool staff of ASKI, who in their spare time work on elaborately choreographed performances for visiting guests. Grease.

Our hospitable hosts, the weavers of Salignan, performing traditional dance to Maroon 5, wearing cloth they have painstakingly woven by hand. (TSKI clients)

Mrs Salnat of Salignan, once without a peso to her name, now a TSKI client and proud owner of sari-sari store. Community leader.

Proving me naive and condescending, the farmers of Calaboa put me in my place in discussing the science of composting and the importance of doing their bit to counter global warming.

Mark Pedder, who lives near the beach. Unfortunately the beach is composed entirely of rubbish. Even so, I found it hard to litter there…

Hanging out with each other for five weeks, doing bizarre stuff… priceless.

 Thanks for making it this far and sharing along the way. One more post to go… (And never fear:   PeterDDowney    has just joined twitter as i have decided to continue to annoy people with my witty and banal  reflections on life.)