Teenage Prostitute's Future... Merry Xmas....

[Bruce]

It occured to me after I took a closer look at the pics I posed under the Charity heading for the Xmas gifts, that there is a back story here too.

In looking at the pics (attached) you see the tall girl on the end with her head covered. She is not a muslim! Her head was shaved as punishment by her older brother. She is the (one of 3) sister the girl with the new Mickey Mouse shirt. The older brother, maybe 22 or so is a part time pedicab driver and he forces his sisters to steal and sell things and give him money. The oldest sister is now 16 and a part time prostitute and for some strange reason has refused my help. She lives on the street or with different men for short periods. Strange girl. Older pics of her living in the park are on the charity web site. In choosing life between living at 'home' with an abusive older brother or the streets and in the park, she chose the streets and park and this has been since I first met her at age 11 or so. Her mother is an alcoholic and also a part time prostitute. When I say 'prostitute' please do not think of a long raven haired woman hanging around the outside of a hotel or bar. Out in Catbalogan they do not exist. Instead, you have the average worn out woman whose life has been so hard that she is older than her years. These 'prostitutes' earn an average 40 - 50 pesos with encounters with fishermen from the different islands who come to Catbalogan to sell their fish get drunk and then take the boat ride home. The women, if lucky will earn 150 pesos a night but then also they must pay the ladyboy who makes the deals. If it rains a lot and the fishermen do not come... no money. So sad.

This girl in the photo has her head shaved if she does not earn enough. Either by stealing and selling things or by following her older sister into the field of part time prostitute. She says she is 14 but she looks younger. Her future is that of her mother, a worn out woman of 41 with 6 kids ranging from 4 to 26. And an abusive husband who may be released from prison in the next few months. I GUARANTEE YOU that the new clothes she got as a xmas gift will be sold. If she is lucky, she will sell and spend before her older brother gets a hold of her to take the money.

Ah yes... the police. Already have taken the girl and her older brother into the station. Let the girl go as per law and then threatened to break the older brother's fingers if they are caught stealing again... And that lasted for about 2 days.

Short Disclaimer..... The girl with the Mickey Mouse shirt is no longer a street kid. When I found her, she was 5 and living the the town JAIL with her mother and 3 sisters as her father was awaiting prison for a stabbing. I pay for her personally. So her clothes and xmas gifts are not part of the charity funds. She is in 2nd grade at age 9 and I continue to support her and pay her fees.

[JJReyes]

I support a non-government agency in Manila working to help street working and street living children. The street working children are easier. The child is usually taken out of school in the 3rd grade to start earning money. The volunteers negotiate an agreement with the parents. The child's daily earnings - P30 to P40 a day working 10 hours or more - is replaced with an equivalent weekly gift of rice. The volunteers regularly check to make sure that the child attends school. Street working children are the ones selling bottled water, flower leis and cigarettes by the stick.

Street living children are more difficult. Even with offers of food & shelter, most will disappear after a few days. They were abandoned at an early age. Survival is dependent on joining a gang, which becomes a replacement family. These are the kids who harass pedestrians through aggressive begging or window wash cars stuck in traffic. The majority of street living girls are prostituted before the age of sixteen.

Edited December 20, 2012 by JJR

[Bruce]

Gangs like in Manila are not a problem in Catbalogan .... Yet. But I can see the concept they are using in manila. Sounds like a plan! At least... they are doing something!

[tiger31]

sad sad story bruce never the less ,i wish i had the funds to sweep them all up and look after them what a life for these kids .I can,t imagine how hard life is to live .The dam goverment should be looking after these kids in these situations through no fault of there own.