The Children of Poverty

Everyday of my life I would walk along the streets of Commonwealth Avenue. I’m used of the place; my family has lived here for almost 16 years. A lot of things had changed since we arrived fresh from the province; the road has widen, infrastructures were built and some were destroyed, the dirty areas have been dirtier, criminal rate has incredibly gone high but one thing has never changed since the very day I stepped on the ground of Commonwealth avenue-poverty.

With no assurance of what will happen to us here in Manila, my father took the risk of selling our small house in Camarines Sur (Bicol region) and moving here for a brighter future and for better opportunities. We arrived here almost empty handed but that was not really the problem, I and my sister’s biggest problem was the adjustment. We are not used of the noisy and stinky street of the city but little by little, or should I say we have no choice, eventually we have surpassed the challenges.

When I was in elementary I started to understand our real situation, the big difference of being rich and being poor. Unlike in the province where I don’t mind if all we could eat were root crops as long as I can see the beauty of nature just about ten steps from our wide backyard and all who live there has the same house and same situation as we were, but here in the city it is so much different. And living in the squatter’s area is like embracing the fact that poverty has caught us and spiked its claws really deep.

Ironically, you would not find the definition of “wealth” in Commonwealth Avenue only the different faces of poverty-innocent naked children running on the streets, blind people stretching there wary hands for spare coins, people walking the blistering streets who had lost there mind because of different reasons but mainly because poverty had eaten their wholeness, beggars, beggars and more beggars along the way. Sometimes I think about their future and how they would enjoy life especially the innocent children who are not yet aware of their present situation, how would they go to school and live their lives? And most often I would question God; sometimes I could not understand His plans.

Whenever I see every face of poverty, I would think of ways to help them but even I could not help myself-being out of school and also unemployed for two years, I’m a graduate of just 2-year computer science but I’m still thankful of my father’s perspirations so if you’re a graduate of a 4-year course and also a degree but could not still find a job, think about me for heaven’s sake!!!. I’m still eager to find a job but I also had a disease and that’s another problem but I’m still hopeful that one day I would find my place in the corporate world, I am maybe ambitious but that’s all I have. I need to find a way to get out from the claws of poverty somehow and also I’m still praying for the “children of poverty” because I, myself is also one of them.

A part of me still waiting for the time that someday, somehow poverty will vanish and all the sufferings will be replaced with joy. I don’t know when, I don’t know how but I’m still hoping. We, the children of poverty, will find harmony maybe not in this world maybe somewhere I just know we will, I just know…

We are the children of poverty and we are also the children of God…