Helping Hands; Taking the old and making it new

A few weeks ago I posted a blog about the dump site; the rubbish tip that is home to over a 100 families and is now a growing community.
I explained about the work they do there, sifting through the rubbish and arranging it by type of material, then putting them in big bags ready to be sold.


One of the things they sell is the juice cartons-the ones that look like the Capri Sun ones we have in the UK...I uploaded a picture, just in case you had no idea what I was on about!

At the base here in Cavite there is a livelihood center where women from local communities come and develop their skills in sewing, jewellery making, knitting, and all sorts of craft.  What they produce is then sold here in the Philippines, and overseas, and the money raised is a source of income for the women and goes towards buying new material and equipment for the women.  The reason why I explained about the Capri Sun cartons is that MWB buy these types of cartons from the dump site, and the women from the Livelihood Center sew them together to make great, practical bags. They come in all shapes and sizes; purses,gym bags,makeup bags, shopping bags, grocery bags, laptop bags...you name it! Hmmm...taking something old, dirty, worn out with no purpose any more...and making it clean, different and new; with a purpose. Reminds you of something?!

How amazing are these?! They are so gifted and talented!






 These are a few pictures of the other things that they make here...

A Life Lost

“I have no right to question God. I know that His plan and will is perfect, and in all things God works for the good of those who love Him”

“Even in my sorrow and grief, I stand firm on the promises of God, that he fills me with the strength and peace I need to carry on, the kind that can only come from Him.

These are the amazing words that the mother spoke the morning after she had lost her baby.  I went over to see her early in the morning, and sat with her for a while, talking, listening; giving her the time she needed to talk about what had happened.

I was called just before midnight to observe a delivery over in the clinic. Second baby...progressed quickly...no problems...excellent I thought.  Within half an hour a beautiful boy was born, but as soon as I saw him I had a knot in my stomach...something wasn’t right.  As he was on his mother’s chest being dried with towels I noticed a couple of abnormalities in his appearance. His parents were overwhelmed with happiness at his arrival, and thanked God that he was born.  He made some efforts to cry, but I could see that he was struggling and still very pale.  I took him over to the counter with another midwife and listened to his weak heart rate and we started to resuscitate.  As we were working on him we noticed further abnormalities that indicated a syndrome of some sort- I didn’t know which.  We spent half an hour trying to resuscitate him, his heart rate sometimes rapid, sometimes very slow, but after half an hour I heard the last.  His struggle had ended, but the parents’ had just begun.  There was nothing I could do...I was completely helpless.  He was clothed and cwtched in a lovely blue blanket and I took him over to the mother and offered her to hold him. I stayed with her as she did so; broken hearted she cried and prayed over her son.  Once the family had returned into the room I left them to have time with him alone.

I visited her early the next morning and we spoke for a while.  She was amazing.  She praised God with her words, thanking Him even in her time of suffering.  Her faith was beautifully shining through her even through tears of grief. She even spoke kind words to me, encouraging, thankful and appreciative words.  As sad as the situation was, it was a privilege to be a part of it and to care for such an amazing faith filled family.

 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.  For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.  If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer."  2 Corinthians 1:3-6

Medical Mission; Mindoro

It was awesome to be a part of the Medical Mission that took place at the base in Mindoro.  We had 3 doctors and 4 dentists (from Norway and the Philippines) who volunteered their time and skills to help the people of Mindoro.  Medical and dental care comes with a price here in the Philippines, so many people can't afford to see a dentist or doctor; they just struggle on despite being in severe pain or having some sort of illness.

Over 400 people came to the base and received free consultation with a doctor and dentist and had treatment there and then.  Many, many...many teeth were extracted by the dentists and the doctors were able to diagnose and treat many illnesses that the children and adults had.







We also had a pharmacy station providing the patients with the medication they needed...all for free! What a great way to bless them!

This was such a success and was truly appreciated by the people of Mindoro, we went to a nearby prison and did the same there. Over a hundred inmates felt the love of God through the service the medical team freely gave them.  They felt no judgement, no condemnation, no feeling of being belittled that day; just felt blessed and cared for.




We walked from one village to another in Mindoro after visiting the 
prison.  The villagers wanted copies of the bible...so that's what we gave. We gave each of the 40 families a Tagalog bible, and they were so grateful. These people have realised that in their despair, it's only in the Word of God and a relationship with Him that peace, hope and joy lies.  We wanted to bless them in their situation, so as well as giving the best thing we could; The Bible, we also gave all the children tooth brushes and tooth paste, clean clothes and multivitamins.  We saw one boy who had been walking through the jungle and cut his leg on a branch 3 months ago.  The wound was really infected, and had been for the past 3 months.  Of course, lack of money meant that he could not see a doctor.  The doctor from the medical team was with us and was able to see the wound, so we cleaned it, dressed it and gave him a course of antibiotics to treat the infection.  It was quite amazing- in the little medication we brought with us 'just in case'; we had the exact antibiotics and amount that he needed!

Family Camp and a Mass Wedding...!

During my week in Mindoro I was involved in a family camp that was going on at the base.  Two social workers employed by MWBPI spent weeks going around villages in the area interviewing families, and offered some of the poorest families to come to a camp held at the base.  70 families; over 400 people got involved and spent 3 days at the Centre, learning what the bible teaches about marriage and parenthood so that families would be strengthened. They also had seminars and activities on how to build strong and healthy communities.  There was a mixture of Tagalog and Katatubo people at the Camp.

I led one of the small discussion groups with one of the Philippino pastors every morning after the main seminar to talk about what had just been shared and to pray together.

One afternoon everyone was split into 4 groups, and the groups rotated around 4 different stations; soap making, dental care, hygiene workshop and arts and crafts.  I led the hygiene workshop together with 2 nursing students from Norway.  We taught the importance of hand washing, washing clothes and cleaning the skin.  As I've explained in a previous blog post, many of the natives live in very poor and basic conditions so hygiene is a very strange concept for them.  During the camp we found many using water from the toilet to wash and drink because they didn't know what it was for.  Just teaching basic cleanliness will hopefully prevent a lot of sicknesses.  We had buckets of water lined up in a row and gave the parents the opportunity to bath their children, then we gave them new and clean clothes. There were smiles all round! Most of the children had head lice, and many of them had huge distended stomachs because of intestinal worms.  We tried our best to help them but we knew as soon as they would go home they would just return.

The following day the three of us taught basic First Aid to the campers- concentrating on CPR, wound care, burns and choking.
In the afternoon it was time for the campers to go home, but before leaving they were all given a certificate acknowledging that they attended the camp. Many of the campers have never been in education, they can't read and write and definitely never had a certificate before.  Seeing the smiles on their faces as they received the certificate was amazing, and even though some held it up side down, the pride shone through in their faces.

All of the campers were given a bible, and those who were illiterate had an MP3 player that had the bible on it so that they could listened to the word of God.  Over 40 people made the decision to receive Jesus into their lives during the camp :)





It was also amazing to see a mass wedding taking place at the base in Mindoro.  In many of the communities on the island a marriage is more of an agreement between both families allowing the couple to be together.  Getting married is too expensive for many people here, so if both families agree, then the couple are counted as being married.  Many of them however desire to be legally married so MWB arrange a day for them to come to the base and get married! Around 20 couples got married that day :)

The Iselin Centre; Mindoro

As I explained in my last update, the story behind The Iselin Center deserves a full post.

Ministries Without Borders Philippines Inc. was established by Noralv and Tone Askeland, from Norway, eight years ago when they felt the call from God to work among the poor and needy in the country. 
Noralv's niece Iselin Østerholt had visited the Philippines and seen the work that MWB were doing there. She was particularly touched by the work in Mindoro-seeing how the new center reached out to the poor, especially the indigenous people. She was planning on returning to the Philippines to work, but a month before her trip she sadly died in a terrible accident whilst walking in the mountains with her father. Her parents Kari and Lars Martin Østerholt wanted to honour her wish of helping the poor in Mindoro, so at her funeral they explained that any money donated would go towards the work in Mindoro she had so wanted to be a part of. As a result the Health Center was financed and given the name Iselin Center in her memory.

                                                             
 The center is used as a birth clinic, medical center, health information and a dental office to people who have no money to pay for such services. 
Her parents continue to help the work in Mindoro-financially and practically. She is a dentist and he has a master in business administration, and they come to the Philippines for two weeks every year along with some friends and volunteer their services in many of the projects.

 It was great to meet them and spend the past to weeks working alongside them-seeing their strength that can only be from God, and the passion they have for the ongoing work here in the Philippines. 


 
 


 Two of the women helped to give birth to their babies in the Iselin Center.









                                                                         
 

Mindoro- An overview.

What amazing work MWB are doing in Mindoro! I still can't quite get my head around all the projects that are going on to help the poor and needy and share with them the love of Jesus...It's just incredible! In this blog post I'll give you an overview of the work in Mindoro, then I'll write about some of the projects in detail during the next week.

Mindoro is one of the islands in the Philippines-the seventh largest island and one of the least developed places. It's situated just south of the island Luzon which is where I'm based in Cavite.  As well as being home to many Tagalog people, parts of Mindoro is the almost exclusive domain of the native Katatubo, also known as Mangyans. The Mangyan comprise eight linguistically similar tribes spread along the island's mountainous ground. They live a very basic life- most of them uneducated, and make their living from agriculture in one way or another. 

This is one of the villages. Some of the villages are lucky enough to have water supply-most however are not, so hygiene is not a word in their vocabulary. When asked about where their toilets are, they just give a shy laugh and point to the ground around them.  MWB are reaching out in many ways to both the Tagalog people and the Mangyan tribes in many different ways e.g giving farming equipment, building water systems and toilets, educational programs, emergency relief aid if there is a flood/fire in villages, medical support etc etc etc. I'll give some details another time!

I've been to Mindoro twice during my time here, and plan to go back at the end of the month.  Ministries Without Borders Phil. Inc. established a Community Development Center and Training Campus around 4 years ago.  On the campus (see the picture to the right) there is a Bible School. The students stay for 9 months to be trained and equipped to become missionaries, so that the Gospel is shared with the lost and reaches all nations.  

The small building on the right side of the picture is a school for children with special needs.  Often these children are deprived of education and ignored by the government and often their families, but MWB are working with the government to provide full time education to many children with disabilities and educational needs. 

The building you see in the center of the picture is called The Iselin Center. The story behind the Iselin Center is one of great sorrow and sadness, but has brought tremendous blessing to many of the poor people in Mindoro. The story deserves a blog post to itself, so you'll have to wait for that one! In short the Iselin Center is a health center; providing maternity, medical and dental care.  
 
The building in the left of the picture is a Livelihood Center.  Women from numerous villages on Mindoro come to the Center and are trained in livelihood skills.  They are taught how sew, make jewellery and soap. They develop new skills as well as being able to sell their products so that they have a source of income.

Scattered around these buildings at the base are cabins to accommodate the workers/ volunteers there.

That is just a glimpse into the Center and the work that MWB are doing in Mindoro.  But through all the different programs established there lives are being transformed, restored and hope is given to those who knew of only trials and despair.

Gems amongst the junk.

This is the view that faces you as you walk towards the dump site.  Mountains of waste and rubbish as far as the eye can see, and trucks filled to the brim going back and forth during the day making these mountains grow.  As we arrived the site, a garbage truck was following us ready to relieve it's load and out of nowhere came men and children running toward the truck rummaging through the garbage.  We carried on walking; over the mounds of waste and passed the cows that were grazing (on what I don't know!) and camouflaged into the rubbish I saw shanty houses scattered around. I came to realize that this was not just a dump site but it was home to hundreds of people.

Over a hundred families live here. Each family with between 1 and 8 children.  They have built their houses out of whatever they have been able to get their hands on; sticks, plastic, fabric, tires and wood.  The men and children will organize the garbage by material- separating plastic from the glass etc and put them in massive bags ready to be sold. This is their source of income. The women will collect all the electrical equipment and cut the wires to either try and sell them or use them to illegally connect to any electrical source they can find.

Some of the children who live here are able to go to the nearby school.  The parents have to pay for their children's education, and because the families here are so poor they send one child to school for maybe 1 year, then another child from the family the next year.  The older children cares for and looks after the younger siblings once they can walk so that the parents can try and work to get money.  MWB sponsors many of the children living here in the dump site.  This means that the children receive all the equipment they will need to go to school- backpack, books, pencils, ruler, pens and uniform; allowing them to enjoy full high school education.

Twice a week the children have a visit from some of the workers/volunteers from MWB. Around 80 children come to the hall that MWB have built in partnership with the government and there they hear the word of God, they sing songs, play games, have a lot of fun and have food to eat. It's great being a part of this project :)

The nearest hospital...say no more!

The MWB maternity clinic is generally the equivalent to birth centers in the UK; led and run only by midwives.  If a problem arises during the pregnancy, labour, delivery or postnatal period and the mother requires the care of a doctor she would have to be transferred to the nearest hospital. I have been lucky enough to visit one of the hospitals that the women are referred to if there is a problem.  It's called the General Emilio Aguinaldo Memorial Hospital, and is one of the very few government hospitals in the province, located 30-40 minutes drive away from the MWB base.
Most of the hospitals here are private hospitals. Women would have to pay 800 pesos for the standard room, and up to 2000 pesos for the 'delux' room...and that's just for the room. It would be around £31...which isn't much for us, but here it's an amount that a lot of people can only dream of. This does not include the cost of all the equipment used, medicine and doctor visits.
On the whole, women receive free care in a government hospital. Some still have to pay, but I think the maximum is around 150 pesos. They all however have to pay for used equipment and medicines.  Money is the main reason for women to chose a government hospital over a private hospital, and that's why many of these hospitals are over crowded. One hospital in Manila, for example, have over 80 births every day! 80 BIRTHS...EVERY DAY!!! I'll stick to working in Carmarthen I think!

Well, the hospital I visited was a government hospital, with around 15- 20 deliveries a day.  The child health and maternity wing had just been built about 2 years ago- that's the only part of the hospital we had a tour of! Say no more!
We were not allowed to go into the delivery room because we didn't have our scrubs on, but we were told that it was one room with a few delivery beds in it, so respecting patients privacy and dignity is not high on the list of Midwives Rules and Standards here.

As we entered this room, our 'tour guide' explained that this was the Postnatal High Risk room. So women who have had pre-eclampsia, ante/postpartum haemorrhage, diabetes, cesarian sections etc all go in this room. When we visited it wasn't the peak season for deliveries, so she explained that it wasn't that busy! 2-3 women were sharing a bed, along with their babies. If the bed was too crowded, the babies would have the bed and the women the floor.  In the corner of this room was a young woman crying; she looked so hurt. I felt so helpless because of the language difference-I couldn't help her. I don't know whether it was physical pain that she was feeling or whether it was emotional; I couldn't see a baby next to her. It was so sad, and there was nothing I could do.


This was the Normal Delivery Postnatal room...again this wasn't peak season! Looks pretty crowded to me! Up to 5 women and their babies fit in these beds during the busiest times. Crazy! Women have to stay for at least 24 hours post delivery before going home.

Workers from MWB often visit local hospitals and volunteer in general nursing care-washing some of the children/elderly or building maintenance eg. painting or cleaning.


When we visited the children's ward i saw this 'machine' that was obviously a DIY job, and I asked what it was. I was told it was a CPAP machine made by them in the hospital. This is a machine that gives Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, so if a baby/child has respiratory depression then this machine will be used to help them breathe.  Guess which picture is from the UK and which is from the hospital here! As strange as it looks to have half a water dispenser bottle over a baby's head, I'm impressed with their creativity!

Setting captives free - Prison Ministry

One of the programs established by Ministries Without Borders Philippines Inc. is the Prison Ministry Program.  Workers and volunteers from MWBPI visit prisons on the islands of Luzon (where I'm based) and Mindanao on a weekly basis. They share the gospel with the inmates, give nice snacks and provide skills training programs and activities. 

It was great to meet and spend time with Jan Eriksen a few weeks ago.  Jan has an amazing story. As a former pimp and drug lord, he experienced the dark reality of a world of violence, murder, prison, rape and prostitution. It was from this living hell 35 years ago that God saved him, restored him and healed him.  Seventeen years ago he founded Street Aid; a ministry among drug addicts and prostitutes then went on to establish Street Ministries International, ministering all over the world and working closely with local churches in the cities to reach out to these lost individuals.  He travels the world sharing his story, and he and his wife spent over a week with us here in the Philippines. Over 3000 inmates here heard his story and the awesomeness of God's grace and mercy. Jan also gave them all a copy of the book he has written.

One of the prisons I've visited is Dasmarinas Municipal Prison for minors aged between 15 and 18.  There were some younger children there also, but more for safekeeping due to their situation at home.  We met and spent time with around 35 children; having bible study,  doing fun activities,  giving snacks and just talking to them. There was a mix of girls and boys (mainly boys) and even though they had separate cells to sleep in I still found it difficult to get my head around; that boys who were there for maybe rape or murder were at the same place as young girls who were there for burglary. This week they got so excited about the activity they were doing.  They were provided with red card shaped into a heart and some craft stuff, so that they could make a Valentines Day card to their parents/grandparents at home.  MWBPI have provided the minors with shirts, slippers, shorts, school supplies, books  and recreational toys as well as a ceiling fan and a water dispenser for them to use.

We also went to an adults prison; it's where the inmates go to await their trial. We only went for a short time-just to see what it was like in there. I was quite speechless...which doesn't often happen. First we saw the cell for the women. It was a tiny cell, barely 4 meter square. There was maybe 4 bunk-beds, no lighting, a hole in the ground for their waste and that's it...for 34 women. It was packed in there. The guard told us it was safer not to go and see the cells for the men, but he said that the cells were exactly the same but had up to 70 inmates in each! It was crazy to see. I'm sure crime would plummet if prisons were like that in the UK.

Nothing you do for a child is ever wasted...

I'm going to tell you about the wonderful little people who are a big part of my life at the moment.

Some of their names have been changed for this post, and I won't be able to show many pictures due to the adoption process and the confidentiality of each child in the future, but they are so full of love and joy I wanted to share a few stories with you.

At the moment we have 5 orphans here at the base in Cavite; ages ranging between 3 weeks old and 14 months old. They are beautiful;  full of energy and so mischievous; they will climb everything that can be climbed, grab hold of everything that looks fun to grab-including my hair and glasses (this is a very fun game!), and run around like waddling penguins all day long without tiring.  Running after toddlers in 30 degree heat is hard work!! Hearing a child laugh is one of the most beautiful and infectious things one can ever experience-it's so genuine and free; I love being a part of it. Knowing the stories behind why they are here with us makes it somehow more special and rewarding; it's very fulfilling knowing that you can give love, happiness and security to a child who without being here would have no one.

These are some of the children in the Children's home. They are all captivated by the new DVD TV they have in one of the rooms! Some of these children are also orphans who have been here since they were very young and are awaiting adoption. Some of the children are here because of neglect and malnourishment at home. Hearing the stories of some of the children is really heart braking, but seeing them now-healthy and strong makes me proud to be a part of such a great organization. 


When I'm not working in the maternity clinic I work in the Children's Home, particularly giving 1-to-1 support to 2 boys ages 6 and 3. Both have different disabilities and have difficulty in walking and speaking, so during our one to one time we have fun exercising and playing games and singing 123/ABC songs! Robert (the 6 year old) is coming along well...words are beginning to form and his unique way of communicating is improving. Best and cutest thing I've taught him to do so far is to 'high 5'! Every time we laugh together, he now expects a high 5, so that's what he gets! Last week we concentrated on animals- now he can mimic a lion, monkey and elephant...all the other animals we tried just sounded like the lion! But he's getting there!
This is my war wound. Robert didn't want me to leave him one evening, so he thought the best way to get me to stay was to dig his teeth into my arm and not let go!!! He's a clever boy...and he has a strong jaw!

Jay, the 3 year old boy has not shown progress in his speech yet, so this week I'm trying a different approach. Instead of wanting him to say words, for example please and thank you, I'm trying to teach him the words using sign language. Maybe he will find it easier to express himself that way. We will wait and see.
I have so many funny stories to tell about the kids here, but it's too difficult on a blog so you'll just have to wait!
We learn, we play, we laugh, we cwtch...indeed nothing you do for a child is ever wasted.

Maternity System in Cavite

So I'll tell you a little about the area that I'm based at the moment...
Cavite is the smallest province in the Calabarzon region of the Philippines.
It occupies land area of 1,427.06 square kilometres (550.99 sq mi).
Cavite has a total population of approximately 3,090,601 making it the most populous and the second most densely-populated province in the country. The population density of the province based on the census of 2010 is 2,200/sq km or 5,600/sq mile.

It's difficult to know exactly how many are living here. It is thought that only around 60 % of births are being registered. This means that any statistics or reports released by the government aren't a true representation of the situation here in the Philippines.So many areas here in Cavite are way below the poverty line, hundreds of families live in small communities of shanti houses, some living on the street and families living in dump sites, making some kind of money by rummaging through the rubbish and selling the bottles and cans that they find.  Many of the pregnant women living in these areas do not seek antenatal care during their pregnancy, and they give birth at 'home', sometimes alone, and sometimes being assisted by their partners or mother.  These births are often not registered, so are completely unknown to the government; these children don't exist in the eyes of the law.

We have 3 medical students from Norway staying here at the moment and they are conducting a study to find out where women give birth and why they chose to give birth where they do.  The results so far show that women would chose to give birth at home rather than their local hospital because the are scared of the staff in the hospital and the care [or lack of care] they would get there.  This is not very surprising. In the local hospital here in Cavite between 3 and 5 women share a bed (3 maximum if they have had a cesarean section).

 This is a picture i took when i visited a hospital showing the bed that they would typically use in the maternity bay. 5 women would lie across this bed, with their babies.




Women would have to pay for the care they received, the medication given to them, the equipment used...even the cotton wool used to change the baby's nappy. It's no surprise that women often resort to giving birth at home...as dangerous as it is.

In Cavite alone, pregnancy/ childbirth was the direct cause for 221 maternal deaths per 100,000 pregnancies in 2011.  If we compare this with the statistic for the whole of the UK between 2006-2008 (3 years) the direct death rate was 4.67 per 100,000 pregnancies.  Some of the orphans we have here at the base are here as a result of their mother giving birth at home, and losing her life because of a complication during the delivery.

For years, midwives here at MWB have been going out to deprived communities in Cavite to provide antenatal care to the pregnant women, and to educate them on child bearing and the importance of receiving medical assistance during the delivery.  By doing so, a rapport was built and a trusting relationship was formed and women felt able to come here to the clinic to receive care before, during and after giving birth.  The midwives are able to share God's word to these women whilst they are here, and demonstrate His love simply by loving them and caring for them during an important part of their lives.  It's a wonderful demonstration of "Loving your neighbor as yourself" .

 [Jesus said] For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
  “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25: 35-40

 The maternity clinic here provides a wonderful service to these women.

 












They receive love, care and support in an environment that is safe.