it takes a village

Someone once said that Australia was the land of contrasts but really, nothing compared to here. This is a picture of our old house that looked down onto the squatting village, home to about 200 Filippinos living in extreme poverty. )40% of the Philiipines live in some form of poverty). It is a land of extremes, beauty, wealth, pollution, ugliness, concern, apathy and poverty. In the shack of a house on the left lives a mother with 6 kids aged from 8 months to 9. The mother has been away, apparently trying to find food leaving the 6 kids alone for days to fend for themselves, without food. At night the children cry out for food. After 2 years of frustration, mainly at myself and lack of knowing how to effectively help, we have built a partnership with a local church. Amazing people who have estsblished a Saturday bible study for the kids and adults. On Sunday they drive them to church. They have begun to sign them up for health care at 75% discount. (can you beleive a place that has so much poverty has the highest prices for medicine?). Food is given out to those who don't have it and we are currently looking into ways to aleviate the flooding. Also, we are looking at a system of micro credit, to help them with creating business.