Gifts For The Poor, Part 2

[Bruce]

Here are a few more pics. 2 of the widows (more expected later who are on the list) who came by and kids. Also a sick baby in the hospital that is supposed to be dying of malnourishment because............... now hope you are sitting down...... because the teenage daughter is a moron and the grandparents are too *&%$#%&* SHY to ask for help.

If I had to identify the ONE most annoying Pinoy trait that drives me crazy is the Pinoy concept of SHY. In my experience, SHY has little to do with modesty as in western cultures. The Pinoy concept of SHY is a concept that I can not quite grasp....

I have known this family and that baby since before the baby was born. The teenage daughter, in my opinion, resents the baby and whenever the baby is in her care, 'something' happens. So, IF and I do mean IF the baby lives, I have given ORDERS that the baby and grandmother is to come to the charity building for food every day. The grandmother can be a part time helper and can have the baby with her as she works.

Here is part of an email I got about the children and the shopping....Again the SHY thing as well as some 'past bad things' that the poor kids have done in the store they were brought to for the shopping. So some of the kids had to wait outside and the charity woman picked out their clothes.

*****

you will notice some of the streetkids are not with us during shopping, each one has their own reason,some are afraid of going inside the store cause they do bad things at store in past days, some are shy and don't know what to choose and so just request us to do shopping for them.

*****

After the widows came and left, MORE widows showed up who are not on the list! Oh well.... I can only do what I can do!

[Okieboy]

You cannot solve the problems in the Philippines, my brother in law is in the same situation thinking he can make a differance, building a school in the hill to teach english to the lumids, the problem is so large, if you want to help a few ,ok but without support from a large corporation you are a little fish, giving hope to a few, no problem with that, but don't expect to save the Philippines, or to get large support from the expat community, there are billions of piso donated every year to help, but that is a drop in the bucket , and most know the system, so they use it, beggars on the street now who to hit and who not, the stories you are telling are nothing new, they are the way of life here in the Phil, i can go on and on but they are not stupid they learn how to use people, and are good at it they learn at an early age.

[Thomas]

The Pinoy concept of SHY is a concept that I can not quite grasp....

I suppose the extra shyness, compared to common westerners, depend of extra fear of lose face.

[Bruce]

I found out soon after I arrived that I would be subjected to some manipulative people asking for more and more. So, I let the local family I have managing things run the charity because they know most people and are immune to the ploys to manipulate me. This way, I only have to deal with THEIR manipulation of me! LOL!