A Testimony By Peter Lim
Peter Lim shares his experience having spent one week with a Grace Missions partner in Manila, working among at-risk children living in slums.
A group of us from church partnered with a faith-based humanitarian organisation (“FBHO”) in Manila, Philippines, which supports children by addressing their spiritual, physical and emotional needs in practical ways.
It was a packed week of travelling by rented jeepney, eating on the move, visiting families across communities, and running children’s programmes.
As city-dwellers, we adjusted to walking through garbage-filled paths and narrow walkways where many families had built their homes.
Multi-generational families live in small shanties exposed to the elements and vulnerable to fires, which are not uncommon in the slums.
Each family had a story that stayed with us, including one that had lost their father to violence, leaving the mother struggling with her mental health while caring for a child with an intellectual disability.
One community that impacted me most was located within one of the Philippines’ oldest and largest cemeteries. Home to generations of families who earn a living by digging and maintaining graves, making coffins and carving tombstones, selling flowers and food, and acting as guides for visitors.
I met a grandmother in her seventies who was born there, and a young mother cradling her newborn – a poignant reminder of both hope and the challenges of life in the cemetery. Despite its setting, the community was full of life, with children playing, adults chatting, and small businesses operating.
One particular child, Dino, caught my attention. He was smaller than his four-year-old frame – dirty and sweaty from running around, sans clothes and footwear. When I was asked if I would carry him, I did not hesitate.
As I held him in my arms, thoughts of my early days as a father flooded my mind. To say that my inner self received a boost would be an understatement. I had the privilege of stepping into the lives of those who navigate daily challenges with resilience and gumption. I spent the week ministering to the communities: encouraging families, engaging with the kids, distributing food, and was even a king for all of ten minutes!
Of course, caught up with the emotions of that moment, it was understandable to debate in my mind that no child should be living such a life, and in a cemetery at that. Yet the stark reality is that millions of children like Dino can be found everywhere in the world, living way below the poverty line.
By the end of the week, it was clear to me that the mission of supporting at-risk children is complex. It is my fervent hope that the visits of volunteers like our group, and the years of hard work of humanitarian organisations like FBHO, will offer the much-needed help and hope to lift these communities out of poverty – one child at a time.
Note: Names have been changed to protect the identities of the children.