Reflections from youth survivors in the Philippines
We partner with Love 146 to provide wrap-around care for survivors in the Philippines through two safe homes, one for girls and one for boys. This care includes medical care, psychological care, access to recreational activities, life skills training, educational support, legal assistance, and support with reintegration into their communities. Your advocacy & donations during Dressember work to care for children after exploitation.
Below is a reflection from a staff member followed by quotes from youth survivors. At Dressember, the resilience of survivors gives us hope for the future. Read on to see the impact that is created when compassionate communities come together in generosity.
“I have to be honest, it is so heavy to feel like every child who comes to our door means we as a society have been too late… The realities that children in our care have faced confront me again and again. And the horror and anger spark again and again. But I also see again and again that Love can heal. And we persist. Because every child is worth it.”
- Member of the Love 146 staff in the Philippines
“I dream of becoming a lawyer someday because I want to help those people who need help, especially oppressed children like me. Education is valuable to me because it will help me to achieve all my dreams and wants in life. Through education, I can give myself and my family a better life, so different from the kind of life that I experienced before. My children will never experience being sold because unlike my mother, I will be capable of raising them.”
“I used to be like this leaf. When the storm comes the leaves of the tree fall. Just like the times when I felt that I was the tree whose leaves all fell — hopeless. I felt that my life was hopeless. I felt that ever since I was born I have always had problems, as if I was conceived in problems. And then I felt like a leaf that was withered, lost, dead. I felt dead during those times. When I felt all alone in the world, giving up every time something bad happened to me. But now, I’m different. I’m like a strong tree that no one can fool anymore. I can not be downtrodden and laughed at anymore. Here in my heart is what the mommies in the safe home have taught me. They are the people who loved me, who valued me at a time when I thought that I was alone. It was here that I felt loved. It was here that I became strong. ”
“Every day, I scrawl in my diary all the pleasant things that happen to me here with Love146 so that when I’ll have my own child, I will share those experiences with them. When I think of the people who support Love146, I am wholeheartedly thankful. Even though I do not know them personally, and I cannot see them, still, they continuously support us. They don’t get tired of helping us to have a beautiful life that is different from what we used to have before. They treat us as their children.”
“Every time I pedal the bike, my heart starts to pound and my legs are pushing me to go faster and faster. Then, I feel the wind in my face and as soon as I stop pedaling and coast, a smile magically spreads across my face. Biking relaxes me and gives me time to think. Sometimes it also makes me forget my problems. Also, using the bike helps me to reach my destination at a very short period of time. I also felt that I accomplished something very great when I arrived at a place using a bike. The bike follows my lead. In biking, I am the one leading my own life, whichever way I want to take it. Biking seems ordinary but it touches my life in a different and unique way”
“I am like a bird that is flying freely. Although she went through a great trial, she does not lose hope that she will see the sunlight.”
“Kid, don’t lose hope – you can do it. Don’t be afraid to trust and to love again because not all people are bad. I also want to tell you that you don’t have to blame yourself because you never committed a mistake and there’s nothing wrong about you. Your life is valuable. ”
“It is my dream to become an accountant when I grow up. Sometimes I find it hard to understand my teacher’s lectures and answer the exams but I always tell myself, ‘I can make it because a lot of people love and believe in me’.”
“You can meet people who are willing to love and understand you without asking for any money or things in return. Be strong and don’t lose hope because you’ll find the right path.”
“To me, the most beautiful thing in the world is the people.”
“I consider myself a light. A light brightens a home.”
“I have found a home, full of joy and satisfaction, and here I have felt hope.”
*Names have changed for confidentiality