This Is Not Africa
By Daddy Neil
@neildc (17239)
Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
July 15, 2008 10:42pm CST
I just can't help to write this one. But please bear with me as I don't know if you can relate, if I can completely express in this writing what I truly wants to say, of what I really feel.
My wife and I stayed a little late, and as always, last night. We still watched TV, the late night news program. And while changing channels from the 2 big nets, Kapamilya channel came to finish ahead of Kapuso. So we take a look at the next program/show, The Correspondents.
And here comes Karen, the shows host for the segment. She went to Camarines and found that one of the poorest shuntie I even saw.
There resides a family with five kids. Both parents are jobless. And the kids are malnourished.
What touched our hearts was the baby who is still a year and a half old. Karen holds the baby as he cries, already hot with fever. Their parents were not there as they already brought the other son (5 years old). Karen decided to bring the baby to the hospital.
In the hospital there they saw the 5 year old boy, and the parents. The doctor says that he already has severe malnourishment. If you can remember Africa before, the people there. He looks almost like those Africans, their body has almost nothing but their bones. Whew.
Our hearts were being pinched like garlic, crumpled by a strong hands of a barbarian. I don't know, we can't take it anymore. We changed channel and never continued watching that very, I really can't take it anymore. And even my wife says, she feels tough, hard to breath.
OMG, this is Philippines.This is not Africa.
KEEP SMILING = NEIL
2 people like this
9 responses
@rsa101 (38166)
• Philippines
17 Jul 08
Well I think they have shown some reality in our country. I was unfortunate to have slept a bit earlier last night than usual. But I really am sad seeing just a snippet of the show they have. i just hope that Karen did something to help that child. And would continue doing so that that child will be given the chance to live at least.
1 person likes this
@austere (2812)
• Philippines
16 Jul 08
life's really tough especially living in a third world country like the Philippines but we can actually do something aboout it. Getting married or deciding how many children one should have is a very important decision. having a family means taking responsibility of the lives that we bring into this world. Whenever we see hungry little ones asking for food in the street we pitty them, we feel sorry for their condition. and seeing them wandering around in search for something to eat, make us ask where in the world are the parents of these little beggars. where are their parents by the way? sleeping in the house waiting for their kiddo's earnings? maybe some are just born without values and conscience that's my point!:)
@blackmantra_x (2732)
• Philippines
17 Jul 08
good day.. sad to say. it's not the word Africa that brings misery to Africans but their social and economic status. If we don't control our population, yes - control, to make it proportionate to the growth of our economy - which is rather slow like a turtle because of corruptions and every thing then the word Africa is just a several steps away from our country.
@tamarafireheart (15384)
•
16 Jul 08
Hi Neil,
We get these programms on our channels all the on commercials all the time, please give, please give, money, money, money, all the time, yes my heart goes out to those people and most of all the little children. What really makes me so angry, is on earth these parents knowing they are starving and kids got no energy how do they manage to have more and more children? don't they think enough is eough? why do these men put they wives in this conditions, yes it makes me sick.SORRY.
love. and keep smiling.
Tamara
@juliefaye (1214)
• Philippines
16 Jul 08
Parents should be blamed in this case... how they can afford to have children when they have nothing to fed them or just to shelter them? Don't get too far.. you can see children on the streets malnourished on the nth degree and you'll be surprised that they have almost a dozen siblings, the parents have no stable job and worse you can see the mother enjoying bingo or the father in a drinking spree. And where are the other children? they are there looking for empty plastic bottles or cans anywhere just to earn a little penny for food.
We all blame the government because they cannot give a decent life for the citizenry. But if we narrow down the picture, you will see that in some household, parents cannot even give a decent life to their children (I'm talking about those with nearly or more than a dozen children).
If the crisis continues, chances are we maybe another Ethiopia.
@allen0187 (58582)
• Philippines
16 Jul 08
you and yoru wife just saw the true state of this nation. it is not the one that will be held in batasan with the fake president delivering a speech to her wagging dogs in a house that has thieves and liars. the true state of the nation is in the streets where there is rampant crime and hunger going on.
@neilchua (888)
• Philippines
16 Jul 08
sad but it is happening. well honestly i hate it when i see couples who have so many kids but cannot take care of them. we know that they are poor but the thing is couples way below the poverty line are the ones who actually have so many children. just like in your story. as much as i want to pity them and understand them, sometimes i believe it is actually their fault. they have no jobs but they still insists of having too many children not even thinking of their children's future. what i hate about most of the Filipinos, i'm sorry if i'm going to offend someone, is that it is our mentallity that our child or children will be the one who will raise us up in the poverty line. that's the mentallity that i want to erase. yes i pity those below the poverty line. but seeing so many children with jobless couple is not acceptable for me. do you think i have a point neildc?
