Sunday, February 13, 2011

Valentine's Day

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Why would I be showing you garbage on Valentine's Day?
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Forgive me. I hope you will understand. There are many causes and places and people I care about, many blogs that educate me and push me to be a better person.
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It is the blog of a special man, a friend, who is a photojournalist in the Philippines. His is a most special blog, one that will both make you sad and make you proud. Either way it will make you AWARE, and on Valentine's Day I think it's a good day to be aware.
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Recently Sidney has been highlighting the people of hapilan in the Philippines. Where they live is where Pier 18 is located, which is a transit point for Manila’s garbage going to a landfill located in Navotas.
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The leading source of income for the residents of hapilan is scavenging this garbage at Pier 18.
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The other source of income is charcoal making. For eleven years, the charcoal-making business has been the primary source of livelihood of 400 families. There are around 36 holes used to produce charcoal, located by the seashore of Manila Bay.
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This is poverty. This is how poverty looks in Ulingan around Pier 18 in the Philippines.
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This is how Sidney describes it:
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"My impression of Ulingan when I first visited the place was that of Dante’s Inferno. A place enveloped in thick fumes with pitch black people and half naked kids working in extremely unhealthy conditions. The people are dirt poor, the kids have to work all day long and they are obviously malnourished and sickly. Many of these people also have lung problems caused by the environment."
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Last week I heard that the people of Ulingan will be forced to make place for another “recycling” company (similar to the one operating Pier 18). All the houses and the charcoal factories will be demolished to make place for the arrival of tons of garbage.
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So please consider this my valentine this year:
Click on image

This is a no frills organization to help with poverty in Ulingan. They will barely make a dent, but even a dent means something.
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I don't know what I will do yet. Money? Time? Prayers? Maybe making this my Valentine post is a first step. I just want you to be aware too. Because, let's face it: we are family.

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Love
kj

photos taken by Sidney and used without permission but I know he won't mind

10 comments:

  1. And I think I'm poor cause I don't have a plasma tv. Unbelievable.
    Always good to remind us to help kj

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  2. kj
    thank you so much for sharing this valentine with us. i feel so humbled. what would be the point of searching for hearts and love if not to have my own heart touched and today...on valentines...you have done just that.
    i am going to join you in the effort to help these people.
    xo
    happy hearts to you my dear.
    c

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  3. This place is unbelievable. Dante's Inferno is a really good way to describe it. Thank you for leaving a link...there has to be something I can do, even on a very, very small level. xoxo

    Happy Valentine's Day, dear kj!

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  4. Happy Valentine's Day to you, and thank you so much for this meaningful post and the link to your friend's blog. I think you already know how much I believe in the connectedness of all things on earth. This suffering of others touches me so deeply.

    You have the biggest heart, and I'm hoping it's filled with love today, dear kj.
    xoxoxo

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  5. Hey, me again
    :0)
    Just wanted to let you know that I posted something about this on my Mother Earth blog. I hope your friend doesn't mind that I posted his photos. If he does mind, I'll remove them.
    xoxoxo

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  6. how true mim. ♥

    chrissy, thank you. and thank you again for your incredible tribute to ♥'s

    marion, sometimes i imagine being somewhere and pitching in. but the grey blackness of this makes it hard for me to think about. and yet, you should see the smiles on sidney's blog.

    you and me, angela. thank you so much for your own post on this. you did a great job. ♥

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  7. Happy Valentine's Day !!
    Thank you for sharing this kj. The kids of Ulingan need all the help they can get.
    Anno 2011 a place like that should not exist anymore.

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  8. Dear KJ,

    Thank you for blogging about Ulingan and the destitute plight of our children there.

    Project PEARLS is just a very small organization of family and friends and we really need all the help we can get - time, treasure, talent, and yes prayers.

    Sidney is such a huge inspiration and driving force!

    Please visit our website: www.projectpearls.org

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  9. Wow, compared to the way I grew up and even compared to the less fortunate kids you work with, we have/had paradise.

    I can't even imagine this kind of struggle and feeling of hopelessness.

    I'll do what I can.

    xo♥

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  10. Kj, this boy looks so positive in all his hardship, bless him! It's terrible to take away their money making for charcoal. Is it our rubbish thats going there?

    Love!
    Julie

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