3 words: Beauty. Sorrow. Hope.
Cuatro, Greater Manila, Philippines
These three words describe ohh so well the life and situation of the people who live in the community of Cuatro.
Beauty: They live just on the outskirts of Manila high up on the hills and every morning and evening they get to see a beautiful sunrise and sunset. They live in a cultural hotspot with the constant honking and cruising of jeepneys.
Sorrow: Dispite the beauty of the outside, inside the shanty homes of the community, it is unknown what is going to be for dinner, let alone if dinner will be served. Unknown where the money for medication for the youngest child will come from. Unknown if safety is present as mom leaves the children home with the father as she goes out to do her daily shopping for what meals she can afford.
Hope: No matter what comes the way of a Filipino, there is hope. Hope abounds in a country where sorrow flows like honey. Hope is present even when it seems like hope would not even be a word uttered. The people of Cuatro, despite all circumstance, have hope for a brighter future, for a life of abundance, joy, peace, and love. Hope, they have.
Cuatro is a squatter village made up of shacks made of tin, plastic, wood, and anything else they could find to put together to build shelter. Here, the people have no land of their own, so they just build on what plots of land they can manage to fit onto. Dozens may live in one small house that is built to hold 2.
Kids International Ministries has been involved with this community for many years now. KIM was founded by Jeff Long and his family and they work in Cuatro helping to bring hope and a future to these people.
KIM has developed a children's home, 2 schools, a home for abused girls, as well as built many homes for famlies throughout the Cuatro community. They are also currently expanding one school so as to increase capacity to help change the future of the children of the community. Things are always changing.
Always.
But they are always in need of help. People willing to fly to the Philippines to help make a difference in the lives of children and adults alike. When you fly to the Philippines, you can expect to hold a kid who has never met her parents, you can expect to sit and talk with a girl who has never been able to find safety from her uncle, you can expect to meet a 17 year old who is still in 3rd grade but is pushing through school to earn a degree.
You can expect to do a lot in 9 days in the Philippines. Interested? Click here to make a difference. You can be one of the people who brighten the day of the community of Cuatro!!
You can make a difference.
Beauty. Sorrow. Hope.
