Just a short blog before I immersed myself in writing my master's paper.
Last night, after enjoying our company bowling tournament, I was able to start a personal charity program that I've been planning for a long time now. The idea is very simple: Instead of shilling out to poor beggars, I intend to provide the basic items they will be needing especially this time of cold December. The program will be made weekly until the end of December.
I asked my friends to donate clothings and blankets days earlier, since we just had a typhoon (which is a bit strange for the cold season). With their hearts on their sleeves, I got a bagful of donations, which I thought was enough for the first night of charity works. But I soon learned that the donations wasn't even close as enough, with so many homeless kids and old beggars in the street.
On the way home with some of my friends, we went looking for prospective donors. Oddly, the bridge from SBMA, which is commonly a place of beggars, is a deserted at around 10:00 pm. I'm not sure if the curfew made this happen, but we only found one drunk donor.
He was a common face. A midget whom I was able to talk to before. Sadly, I grew up seeing how he ended up as a beggar. He didn't use to be a drunk small guy; he was a nice vendor helper during the early SBMA years. I think he even got a family back then.
We gave him the only jacket in the donation (the rest are blankets). He took the jacket and thank us. I told him to keep sober. he smiled and walk away.
The next beggar we saw is actually the one I admire most. He was a regular in front of the mall. I approached him with a smile:
"Kuya may sobra kasi kaming kumot baka magamit mo sa lamig", he looked at the blanket, at me, made a thumbs-up sign and walk away.
My bestfriend laughed at me: "Sabi sayo enlightened siya eh". We both expected the reaction in some way, since Aris and I were planning to end up exactly like the beggar when we were very philosophical back in college. Enlightened, so we went on.
By the time we passed a group of police man, we've decided to call it a night. But I intend to go on with my project. I walked the Magsaysay Street. I was hoping to see the aetas, but I only saw a sleeping vagabond. I didn't wake him, but simply placed a blanket beside him, hoping that he'll wake up from cold only to find a warm greeting in front of him.
Starting to lose hope, I changed plans and walked the dark Gordon street instead. The place didn't change much. During the naval base occupation, the street was filled with American-inspired bars; Now it's Korean-inspired. Different people but the same old faces.
After rounding the place twice, I found no beggars. So I started walking home.
At the corner of 6th and Gordon, I heard jolly kids playing in front of the panaderia. They were street kids.
"Sino sa inyong gustong kumo..?" I asked. But before I can finish they shouted "KUMOT!". Like a palarong pambansa game, the kids dived for the blankets. I can't blame them for not sharing with one another, since they're having a hard life; and begging is a very competitive work.
I bought some bread to compensate for those who didn't receive any blankets. But the chinese lady who owned the panaderia started shouting at them threatening to call the Police.
The kids ran away before I could even give the bread. But before they all leave, a kid approached me quickly and said:
"Salamat kuya sa kumot!". Good kid, and to think that he was one of those who didn't receive anything at all.
---Thanks for reading, please consider doing the same project, or you can share a story or two
also THANKS TO DAVE FOR THE WONDERFUL BLANKETS!
