Overcoming poverty by respecting human rights

THE sad reality about the beautiful, scenic Philippines and its kind and friendly people is that too many of them live in manmade poverty. If you are well-off, thank your parents for not bringing you up in poverty. Thank them for your education, count your blessings every day, and help others with your blessings. If you overcame poverty and now lead a happier life, you may understand the story of Nick.It is education that lifts children out of poverty and hunger. The gross injustice and inequality that causes poverty alienates some 20 million Filipinos who live in slums and are always at risk of going hungry. Sixteen-year-old Nick and his parents are among those poor, "throwaway" people. They survive day to day in any way they can.Neither Nick's parents nor elder siblings finished their elementary education, so they couldn't be decently employed. As many as 7.9 million Filipino youths from ages 5 to 24 did not go to school in 2022 and 2023, Philippine Statistics Authority data show. They have little ability to read and write. Nick's parents never had a regular job. His father sometimes worked part-time in construction while his mother washed clothes for their neighbors. What they earned was never enough to feed them all.They lived in a tiny hut where they all had to sleep close together on mats laid on the concrete floor and ate one meal a day. Sometimes, they eat "pag-pag" — recooked leftovers of half-eaten dinners of the rich at restaurants. This poverty is the result of the actions of some corrupt politicians. It is at the heart of the social injustice ignored by many in a so-called Catholic country. The Philippines is a relatively rich country, yet 20 million Filipinos suffer hunger while another 10 million come close to it. A nation of kind, good people where the 0.1 percent own 46 percent of the nation's total wealth.The Christianity that Jesus of Nazareth wanted and worked for was a society, a kingdom where equality and justice for all rule. Corruption, inequality and injustice go mostly unchallenged by the Church except by courageous human rights and justice advocates. Bishops and priests are among them, but they are too few. Lay Christian advocates for social justice speak out against corruption, only to be tagged as subversives and rebels as Jesus himself had been. It is hunger that dominates the lives and thoughts of our 20 million poor people, day and night. How to find money to buy food is a 24-hour preoccupation.Nick's parents were given loans by a rich drug dealer, nicknamed Nomad, to buy food. They had to sell his drugs on the street to pay him back. They were in debt bondage. They took the maximum risk for the smallest gain. They sold methamphetamine hydrochloride, or "shabu," which is a dangerous drug. They were later caught and jailed and await trial.Nick had to pay the debt owed to Nomad, so he had to sell drugs also. He had no education to get a decent job. He was caught by an undercover police officer posing as a buyer. He was spared from extrajudicial execution, unlike 30,000 others allegedly killed by police as part of the massive crime against humanity being investigated by the International Criminal Court. Nick was charged with selling drugs but being 16, thus a minor, he was sent by the judge to the Preda Foundation home in Liloan, Cebu, which is supported by Aktionsgruppe Kinder-in-Not, a nonprofit based in Germany.There, he discovered his value as a person, felt his dignity and grew in confidence. He felt accepted, understood, and welcomed to a life without fear or punishment. He received his personal needs, made friends, and learned the value of his life and respect for others.Nick is learning the value of education as the road to survival, prosperity and a life of dignity. Thanks to the value formation, alternative education and emotional release therapy he received, he is changing. He now has a better chance in life, a way out of poverty, and a way to stay out of jail and make a new life for himself.Damien is another of the 7.9 million youth who never went to school and wandered the streets with his friends. They survived by doing odd jobs and, when hungry, stealing food from the market. The vendors complained to the police in Plaridel, Bulacan. As a result, Damien and some of his friends were arrested. They were kicked and beaten. They were even taken out, and two of them were shot dead, including Damien's best friend. It seems extrajudicial killings are common there.Damien was tortured. He was tied to a chair, and the police beat his fingers one by one with a hammer. He naturally screamed in pain at this. He was even electrocuted twice to force him to confess to crimes he did not commit. He was finally thrown into a cell. There, he was rescued by Preda social workers and brought to the Preda home. There, he was healed and cared for and underwent emotional release therapy, during which he screamed out his anger at the corrupt police. He, too, will have a chance at a new life. He will learn and overcome poverty and support his future children. There is always hope, no matter the crimes committed against them by the very people sworn to protect them.One day, the majority of Filipinos will rise up, educated and wise, and elect good and just people to lead them and do away with the torturers and killers, the corrupt and unjust, and build together a new Philippines where human rights are upheld, honored and respected by all. It's a dream worth working for. To help others, contact www.preda.org.