Almost August?
Looking back at my journal the last time i posted (June 9th) I commented that the next three weeks would be manic and then I was off to the Philippines. Well, the weeks were manic and I did go off to the Philippines. Just arrived back today.
It was a great trip with a great team of people. We got to do loads of stuff - our big project was decorating a rented house that Mercy in Action want to open as a boy's home in September. The tiled floor was filthy and the walls had been painted a depressing shade of dark sea green. We painted all the walls mostly white, but the lounge in a lovely pale blue and the kitchen in a cheerful yellow. Then our team artists set to work and painted some jungle book murals. I spent a lot of time scrubbing floor tiles, not being much use with a paintbrush!. It looked great when we'd done.
We also spent quite a bit of time with the street kids. Mercy in Action provides them with some basic education (with a view to getting them into school) as well as a place to shower and a hot meal (if they come along for the lessons). As a reward for attending lessons all week they get a Friday treat - we took them to a local swimming pool, which they loved.
Some of the older boys are now signed up for more formal lessons with another organisation and are doing really well - two of them passed exams while we were there, so there was much celebrating.
We joined Mercy in Action on their weekly prison visit - they keep a check on some youngsters aged 16 - 18, most of whom are waiting to go to court for fairly minor demeanours. They are locked up for hours in a small cell open to the elements. The Philippine justice system is very unfair to the poor - people often serve long jail terms before their case ever comes to court because they don't have the money for bail or for a legal representative to push for a court date.
There is loads more I could write, and i may try to post some regular updates from the diary I kept while out there. Meanwhile, I need to slot back into the routine of every day life. I'm hoping August will be fairly quiet, but whenever I say things like that, life is usually crazily busy.
Looking forward to seeing both my boys this weekend, and particularly catching up with G. who has finally passed his degree! Yay!
It was a great trip with a great team of people. We got to do loads of stuff - our big project was decorating a rented house that Mercy in Action want to open as a boy's home in September. The tiled floor was filthy and the walls had been painted a depressing shade of dark sea green. We painted all the walls mostly white, but the lounge in a lovely pale blue and the kitchen in a cheerful yellow. Then our team artists set to work and painted some jungle book murals. I spent a lot of time scrubbing floor tiles, not being much use with a paintbrush!. It looked great when we'd done.
We also spent quite a bit of time with the street kids. Mercy in Action provides them with some basic education (with a view to getting them into school) as well as a place to shower and a hot meal (if they come along for the lessons). As a reward for attending lessons all week they get a Friday treat - we took them to a local swimming pool, which they loved.
Some of the older boys are now signed up for more formal lessons with another organisation and are doing really well - two of them passed exams while we were there, so there was much celebrating.
We joined Mercy in Action on their weekly prison visit - they keep a check on some youngsters aged 16 - 18, most of whom are waiting to go to court for fairly minor demeanours. They are locked up for hours in a small cell open to the elements. The Philippine justice system is very unfair to the poor - people often serve long jail terms before their case ever comes to court because they don't have the money for bail or for a legal representative to push for a court date.
There is loads more I could write, and i may try to post some regular updates from the diary I kept while out there. Meanwhile, I need to slot back into the routine of every day life. I'm hoping August will be fairly quiet, but whenever I say things like that, life is usually crazily busy.
Looking forward to seeing both my boys this weekend, and particularly catching up with G. who has finally passed his degree! Yay!