Food for the poor

Hiyee! It is still the Year of the Poor. Here is a story and some photos from Marian Raquel, Soccom Coordinator of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Ma-a.

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Photo Credit: Ken Hammond/Gef Flimlin’s Hands

Dear KNOT,

I was ‘beach combing’ somewhere in the South when I saw these kids.

She is Eva, 7 years old. I noticed that she had a protruding stomach. I found out later that it was a congenital umbilical hernia. She was with friends, almost of the same age as her, swimming near the ruins of an abandoned breakwater. Garbage of all sorts was floating, brought inward to the shore by the incoming high tide. Eva and her little girl friend were extracting some things from the wall of the breakwater. I asked if I could take their pictures and they said “Yes.” Our conversation went like this:

EVA: Mayaman ka Te?
ME: Dili, pobre sab ko.
EVA: Abi namo mayaman ka kay nagpicture-picture ka man.
ME: Nag-picnic mo sa imong pamilya?
EVA: Wala te oi, mga amigo lang mi. Nanglugit mi ug kinhason diri sa mga bato kay aron lutuon sa balay ug among isud-an. Nakasulay ka nagkaon ani Te?

Wow, I was speechless! I looked at the two girls and smiled. I thought of the abundant food on the tables of the rich people, of the “Eat-all-you-can” binges in restaurants when too much food is left uneaten by many because they placed excess food on their plates. I thought of the many kids who spend the whole day pounding on their iPads and other gadgets, surfing the net and playing games, waiting for their ‘yayas’ to feed them. Then I looked at these poor, innocent kids with their frail bodies pounding on rocks and the wall of this old breakwater, risking their lives against the big rocks and the waves. It touched me that they are more concerned for the waves not to wash away their catch so they can bring them home to Mama and the family can eat for the day. ‘Blessed are those who hunger for they shall be fed from the hands of God.’ – Marian

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Thank you Marian for being instrumental in reminding us to be mindful of each blessing that we put on the table. ‘Til next kwentuhan higala!