A painful sight on my way to the office... and on my way home

Philippines
August 16, 2012 9:17pm CST
Just after I got off the bus, a kid approached me with a soft voice asking for some coins so he could buy food. He dressed ruggedly with uncombed hair. I shook my head from left to right and told him "I'm not giving him any coin." I went straight to a convenient store and found myself buying food for the kid. After coming out of the store, I handed him a pack of bread and a chocolate milk drink. Although he did not say a word, for some reason I still felt good. On my way home, I saw a bunch of street kids. Some lying on the floor and some sitting while they were chatting. I saw a couple of them holding a plastic with grayish solid thingy, not really sure what that is at first. Until when I came near them, I saw one holding a sachet of solvent (sealant we use to patch up holes on our roof or pipes). Then I figured, those kids are using the sealant as "drugs".
3 people like this
5 responses
@elivna04 (51)
• Philippines
18 Aug 12
there are lots of kids k=like that here in Makati. Can't blame them. It's the responsibility of their parents to take good care of them. Most of the kids like that turns out to be criminals. Don't really now who to blame. the parents (who are responsible for their own kids but failed to take good care of them) or the government (coz of poverty related issues). Sigh. I guess we just have to help these kids in our own little way
1 person likes this
@merlmd (8)
• Philippines
17 Aug 12
This is what frustrate me the most....to not be able to do anything for these kids because I do not have the resources. It is during times like this that I wish I had a lot of money. But like you, at most I can just share what I have...food, clothing, toys sometimes. Social services should do more but they don't, oftentimes it is the private groups, church groups who do the government's job for them. Some of these children are being used by syndicates and are already hardened by their situation but I do not think about this...I feel bad because they have become like this because of society's and government's failure to implement social services, education and other programs the would address poverty.
@Paper_Doll (2373)
• Philippines
17 Aug 12
I saw lots of street kids holding a plastic of solvent. This has been a normal scenery to me as I walk around the busy streets of Manila. This may also be the reason why many people are hesitant to give money to them because they say that those kids would just buy solvent or would use that for gambling. I have this experience that I was so hungry that time that I bought 3 pieces of (cardaba) banana. I was on a very tight budget during those times that I only ate a piece and place what is left on my bag. But a street kid come to me and ask for money to buy food. Since I don't have enough money, I gave him my bananas. I have only made few steps when I looked back at the kid hoping that those bananas would be enough for him but to my surprised, he throw the bananas away. To my disappointment, I went back and confronted him. I told him I was also hungry and wanted to eat those bananas but just decided to give to him because he said he was hungry. I told him to pick those bananas and return them to me if he didn't want them. The kid seem surprised by instead of picking the plastic of bananas, he ran away. So after that incident, I really thought that they would prefer that we give money instead of food to them. Or maybe, he was just being choosy and do not want a plain banana. Maybe hamburgers and fried chicken are better.
1 person likes this
@surekharathi (14146)
• India
24 Dec 12
Nice you purchase some food for your kids. Now the beggar not like the food they wants only money. Once a women came near me and tell give me money I am hungry I offer her banana she replied I dont want this if can give the money okk otherwise leave it.
• Kenya
17 Aug 12
This is usually a regular occurrence in my city as well. They inhale the sealant to get high so that they can ignore the hunger pangs. Some things are weird because some street kids refuse the food that you give. There was a time I saw a homeless woman and she was wearing very dirty clothes but what got my attention was that she had on plastic shoes that were torn and they looked like they would hurt. I had an extra pair of shoes that I carry in my bag and are clean and relatively new since I don't get to wear them often and I went to her and offered them to her and she rejected them..... lets just say I was surprised. When you meet someone and your heart desires to help just do it, that's all you can do.