It's one of those (lucid) moments...

Everyday, we are faced with the reality that life is unfair. I can give you a concrete example. LAst night, I was out with my boyfriend, we ate dinner at a pizza place, had pasta, pizza & drinks. I was totally hungry so I was enjoying food as usual. But then I heard voices outside the restaurant, kids' voices, huddled up in one corner in the parking lot. They are street kids, out there in the night, without the clothes that could protect them from possible rain or the cold evening. There I was, inside a comfy restaurant, fully dressed in my office wear, eating a 500 peso meal. Life could not be more unfair than that. What's sad is it does not only happen in this town and this country. I have been in different places in the Philippines and other countries, but sadly, I am faced with the same situation. Kids starving, kids working day & night, out in the streets. It is downright frustrating and personally, I feel shameful. Shameful, because I sometimes feel I don't care enough, I cant give them the things they need, shameful because sometimes I spend too much, enough that could get them by for a week, I am ashamed that I complain too much about my "miserable" life. But these kids, they can still afford to smile and laugh. I actually have this distinct memory of the face of this little sampaguita girl who approached me one night when I was in a mall. She was all smiles, that innocent smile she had on her face, I bought her sampaguita and on my way home, I was crying. I felt so sad and angry. I am angry at the world, to the girl's parents.. how can they let that little girl work alone in the night, in this world not safe enough even to the well-guarded politicians? In the Philippines alone, 11% out of 38.32M kids (below 18 yrs of age) are engaged in child labor. 28% suffers from severe underweight (age under 5) and 36% are suffering from wasting and stunting. Im sure there are a lot of unreported cases, and these percentages can rise up. According to UNICEF though, the Philippines have been doing well and have progressed a lot over the years on this area. I respect UNICEF a lot, I think it's a great organization, but how can they say such crap? In what definition have they equated Philippines and progress? But deep inside, being a Filipino, I am hoping that they are right and I am wrong, that the Philippines is indeed improving and is really trying to make the lives of these kids a little better. That our country is really trying hard to do something for the betterment of their future. Our country's future.

I am hopeful that someday this will change, that children will be in the streets playing instead of working. That thay would have loving, sensible parents that could provide them food, shelter and education. That there would be enough people around the world who would make sure they are safe and they'd grow up as good persons. I hope I can be one of them. I hope that in a few years or so, I can really do something about it and not just write about it.