I am deeply saddened by those parents who keep on having children almost every year even they knew the reality that they can’t afford to feed them and give them a better life.  Yes, Family Planning program is one way to educate those parents to have a clearer plan and ideas in building their family especially for their children’s future. However, the key is still on their hands if they will follow those educational plans and advices.  How many children they want? How to raise them? What kind of life they want for them? Are they born to suffer poverty? Or they were born to experience the goodness of life. Everything must be considered before starting a family. For me, raising a children is not a trial and error case. It is a serious responsibility by the parents/guardians. It is not like, ooppss here you go, and you see the sun and you can go anywhere you want.  On the other hand, I am grateful with those charities, non-profit organization, churches, orphanages and individuals who give their timeless effort and support for the street children. Cited in Wikipedia, in the Philippines alone, there were 1.5 million street children, walking in the street daily seeking for a place to stay and to rest their body. The report was taken last 1998, which means it must be increasing by this time and will go higher if properly action will not takes place.Here are some of the List based on my opinion and observation why this problem exist and why we find many children wandering in the street like nobody cares, own and love them.

Lack of attention – Lack of attention from parents and from the rest of the family member makes the child be rebellious and will run away from home and tend to seek attention from their peers. As we seen on movie which is can be also applied into our real world, the children were not only satisfied with the material things that the parents provided for them. They need time, recreation, and a simple talk with a bowl of ice cream with her mother or father. Parents need to communicate with their children,recognize their weaknesses, appreciate their success and be an ear to their problem.

Conflict in the Family – Fights of parents in front of the children has another effect in child’s growth. Of course, a child wants to have a harmonious and peaceful family. It is very pleasant to their eyes if they see their parents argued less and devotedly more on  happy moments. There are parents who were trying to hide their couple’s war from their children and I highly respect those parents who were  having this kind of standard. Parents who always argued with each other will cause a child to find a place which is quiet and free of stress.

Poverty and Famine – As what I observed, these two things are the main causes why there are many street children in the city. Out of poverty and famine, the abandonment is present. Parent’s abandoned their children because of the inability to feed them. Difficulty in sending them to school and providing their basic needs. I am sure parents of these children don’t want to see their children in that way. But if you were in the situations that even them, the parents having a hard time finding a good and decent job because of the lack of education and job opportunity, maybe we will say NO CHOICE. Of course, we always have a choice. I read a book before and there was a dying man who left a message to his family saying “We always have a choice”. If you will ask them why they let their children walk across the street under the bloody heat of the sun asking money from people, gathering garbage to sell, etc, they will answer you, LIFE IS HARD.

Abused inside/outside the Home Premises – It involves physical, sexual abuse and exploitation by adults. A child will run away from his/her house  if she/he feels unsafe at his/her own home. The effect of abused within the household is very traumatic and if not be treated properly will led into a child life’s destruction. Abused children within the family, wanted to go far as they can from home.  Running away from home at an early age will make them landed in the street and counted as street children begging for money and food from people.

What we can do to help? Not all of us have the financial capacity to build an orphanage and adopt those children. But we can help them in our small little ways.

- We need to be responsible within ourselves and in building our family. Plan ahead of what kind of family we want. Think and plan about our children’s future. Are we able to provide their needs, send them to school and give them health care?

- For the street children, if we have enough money we can give an ample amount to orphanages and non-government organization that cater the needs of the street children

-  We can give them some of our free time. Gather them and give them free basic education, Lesson about life and most of all led them to God.

-  If you can afford, choose one of them and sponsor them for school.

One of my visions is that all the children have a chance to go to school to learn and live like a child when they are younger. That no more street children can be found in the street, instead you can find them in school, reading, drawing and playing in the school playground.

photo source: click here

Speaking from a mother’s perspective I can say it isn’t easy carrying a child for nine months; feeling the child’s every movement and then going through the excruciating pain of giving birth. For most mothers, and I know it was for me; the absolute joy of holding my babies for the very first time made it all worth while.

Through their growing years most mothers including myself encouraged their children to be better then them. A good parent wants their children to be the best that they can be at anything they decide to do; and do better then they had done. It’s just individual parents have different ways of helping their children obtain that betterment.

Unfortunately most parents like the American Government are led to believe that one way suffice for all of their children without taking into account that each child is different and unique because of that difference. Then of coarse the children proclaim from their point of view that the parent showed favoritism which isn’t at all the case, but you can’t tell the offended child that because they refuse to believe it even if it is true.

The first born child was usually the one that thought they were being unfairly treated. Most parents relied upon their first born to be the example to the other children in their home, so when the first born made a mistake they became the example of what happens when mistakes are made.

Then women wanted to be treated equally and so they were, but found they didn’t like that either. It was one thing for a girl to deliberately get into trouble knowing one of their brothers would get the punishment for it and another to suffer that punishment themselves. Many grew up vindictive and down right hateful; that is the generation we see and hear from the most because they scream of an injustice they created.

If you want equal pay for equal work then do the work yourself; many women do, but many more turn to a nearby male asking them to do the work for them when it comes to lifting and carrying. Yet these are the women complaining the loudest. I’ve seen it in the work places with my own eyes. As a woman myself it sickens me as to how many women treat many men. Contrary to what women want to believe some women are different and built differently; in some cases these women truly can’t carry heavy things and should not be paid equally for a job that isn’t equal to that which a man can do. Those that can should get the equal pay for equal work.

As for sexual harassment; I have seen just as many women sexually harassing the men as I have seen men sexually harassing women and fewer men get awarded in any court for damages. I don’t see any of these women having to sign away for life as a sexual harasser and a potential danger to society; yet they are. In fact some of these women place some of those men in that very position just because they can; I’ve seen it with my own eyes and it sickens me.

Many say poor people shouldn’t have children well, if the poor didn’t have children who would do your dirty work for you? Who would take care of your lawns and gardens? Who would baby-sit for nearly nothing? Who would do your housekeeping and cleaning for you? Who would work the minimum wage jobs and be your servants in restaurants? Who would serve in the bars?

When people become frustrated they speak foolish things. If the poor in America didn’t have children you wouldn’t have workers to serve your needs. I had spent several years as a servant working as a serving girl in bars and restaurants with my dad who was a chef. He worked almost to his death; three years after he retired he died in an auto accident in California. He normally held three and sometimes four jobs a day and worked even after each heart attack; so don’t tell me about being poor.

My biological mother hated him because he was poor and hated her biological mother for marrying him. Yet my biological mother worked as a bar maid and then landed a job in a manufacturing company as quality control. She still died a miserable poor person just like that which she hated so much.

Both of my parents were my biological mother’s parents, but they were more of a parent to me then my own biological mother and siblings which I hardly know. My biological dad whom I found when I was in my thirties to my biological mother’s horror was a Pastor of a church  in Texas. I learned both the good and the dark side of being a person of the faith through him. I also found great joy in getting to know the other half of my siblings.

All in all if I hadn’t been born my oldest daughter wouldn’t be here to take care of the elderly and disabled as I had and my oldest son wouldn’t be unloading trucks for consumers to enjoy their shopping. If you think taking care of elderly and disabled is a picnic  in the park maybe you would like to wipe someone else’s butt or changing someone else clothing and bedding after a stint with diarrhea or lifting people that weigh three hundred pounds or more to keep them from falling in a shower or if bed ridden; well I think you get the general idea.

If you are asking if these people my daughter and I work or have worked for have family the answer is yes they do. The people I worked for every member in the home held jobs but the family my daughter works for only most of them have jobs; the one or two that don’t work certainly doesn’t want to take on the responsibility of doing this kind of work themselves. It’s a servant’s job.

Some or most of you may scoff at what I just said but if push came to shove would you enjoy this kind of work if you could have someone else do it? Really think about that; it takes a special kind of person to work around people when you or they have absolutely no idea how long they have to live anyway. These are people that are needy and can’t do for themselves. Yeah it’s a dirty job but someone needs to do it and it’s better if the person doing it does it with a loving and kind heart and not just because it’s a job.

So the next time you hear anyone talking crap about the poor having babies remind them that they need servants to do what they won’t do. 

In the mid nineties I was dating a Nursery Nurse Manager called Julie. Julie’s job was to run and manage a charity sponsored nursery, this nursery was for under privileged children in a very run down part of London. It was fast approaching Christmas and all the children wanted Father Christmas to visit their Christmas party and distribute all the presents that local church groups and individuals had donated to give these poor children a taste of Christmas.

A Father Christmas was employed by the nursery to turn up on the last day of opening for the nursery before the Christmas holiday. Unfortunately the professional Father Christmas did not believe in the true message of Christmas, he cancelled his appearance in favour of a better paying engagement in a department store! The nursery staff were devastated.

I had a phone call from Julie at my work she was in floods of tears for these poor children. I thought about this situation and the only way out of the mess was to volunteer to be Santa myself! I was working as a Workshop Controller in a very busy Volvo Main agent in Hertfordshire. Getting a day off work at such short notice would be the obstacle in my plan. Luckily for me and the children one of the directors of the company ran a Boy Scout group and was in tune with what I was planning to do.

(The assembled children waiting for Santa)

(Me as Father Christmas, note the jeans and cowboy boots!)

(A sweet little girl rushing to open her present from Santa)

(Money can’t buy looks of joy!)

(A naughty Mother wanted to sit on Santa’s lap!)

I was granted the day off on the proviso of supplying photographs of me in action for the companies monthly magazine, the stage was set! In the morning I boarded a London Underground train and headed for central London. I was nervous I had not expected this, in my career I was in charge of 30 people and I was used to communicating and interacting with all types of people young and old. Looking back I think I was nervous in case I made a hash of it and spoilt the children’s party.

I donned the Santa outfit complete with white beard and the game was afoot! I proceeded down the corridor to the part and gave out a typical,

 “Yo ho, ho, are there any children that deserve a present?”

A resounding,

“Me, me, me”

Was heard and I was set upon by the sweet little kiddies, luckily most of the kiddies mums or dads were there to save poor Santa from physical harm! For me it was a great experience and a cherished memory. I am disappointed in the professional Father Christmas, I understand how the world works we all have to make a living somehow? However to let so many kiddies down after you have been professionally employed to me is disgraceful!

The experience cost me a days annual leave and travelling expenses, for me the only payment I wanted was to see all those smiling faces! Happy Christmas everyone.

Lord Banks

Education is important in one’s individual. Proper education gives you enough knowledge on how to work effectively and learn the value of hard work and time.

However, guidance and love from parents are still needed.

Without education, it will be harder for them to adjust to the different societies of the world. Also, understanding would be a big problem because they are known to be narrow-minded people. They can easily believe what is said without knowing what is right and wrong.

How can poor people go to school if they don’t have enough money to spend for it? I believe in a saying “If there is a will, there’s a way”. There are government schools to support them. Instead of letting them work on streets, parents should bring them to school to study.

Furthermore, blaming their parents would not be necessary and can’t help at all. We need to provide sincere assistance to give them the best guidance and proper information. Also, giving them hope would definitely be great that everyone can be successful if you really tried it hard to fulfill it.

We all want a life that is full of happiness and abundance. However, it is hard to acquire all because we are not perfect. We all make mistakes. We all endeavor trials and move on.

The most important part of it, we challenge ourselves that every trials and failures we undergo in life is always a learning process to become successful and happy in life.