Urgent need for poverished family with 5 children!

In the beginning of the covid outbreak our lives looked very different all of a sudden. 

I had just opened a barbershop 3 month prior and then the world was shut down. I was home with my 9 year old daughter and 7 month old son. The opening of my barbershop was a miracle in itself. I had put everything I had into opening, not coming from money myself that was a feat. Now sitting home with a complete loss of income unsure of how this would play out. Would I ever be able to cut hair or even be near people again? We were fighting an invisible enemy. That terrified me. Even grocery shopping became a overwhelming task. My heart felt like it would pound out of chest and once I almost passed out in the soup aisle as I hyperventilated behind my n95 mask. 

At this time my son broke out in a terrible raw rash. Doctors offices were limited nor did I want to take my son into one. So I sought out help online and joined an eczema support group. Through this group I got some great advice and made some connections. One of the group members was Janime. Her daughter was the same age as my son by a couple of months. Her baby Nathalia was suffering with similar skin sores. We began talking a lot about our children.

As our friendship began to grow we learned we had a lot in common. Our faith in God, our children's health concerns, the stressors and struggles of quarentining and our job losses just to name a few. 

 However I started to notice some major differences as well. 

We would discuss home remedies seeking relief for our babies after a while it became obvious she didn't have basic access to the same things that I did.

Manila, Phillipines is where Janime and her 5 children live. She lives in one tiny room in a building with no indoor plumbing. Her families bathing provisions or lack there of consist of a hose and bucket. 

During this time Janimes husband lost his job to covid. At the point of desperation Janime begged neighbors to hand wash their laundry. She got 2 neighbors to say yes and was making about $4/ day 3x/week. 

The major lack of funds caused a tidal wave of despair on her family. The hose she uses for her water needs was shut off, the building owner pounded on her door daily to tell her to pay or leave, there were weeks she went without power that was cut off too. 

Her 5 year old nephew was dropped off at her door as his parents decided another mouth to feed was too much for them. 

She struggled with the emotional and financial strain of taking on this child when she barely was providing for her own. The alternative was to put him in the street. I reminded her God provides and to keep him safe the best she could. She does that, all the time. She has a huge heart. 

Constantly battling the very real threat of starvation and with relentless illness baring down on them.

Janime and her husband went to the city to request financial aid only to be told "your names not on the list". It's different there. There's no supervisor to go to, no simply means no. 

With the city in lockdown they were given a "quarentine pass" allowing only an adult to leave once a week. This pass rule still stands today.

With no other options Janime and her husband left the house against orders to beg for work. There wasn't any to be found. They would walk in different directions endless miles on a rumor that some area had opened a factory only to return empty handed.

After months of desperation she was suicidal and found herself standing on a bridge. She couldn't bare the thought of returning to her children without food yet again. How defeating it must be to literally watch your children starving death. I remember that day so clear. God put Janime on my heart heavy, I just knew in my spirit she was in danger. I started to message her feverishly. I reached out to her son to be told that him and his siblings had been home waiting on moms return for a couple of days. 

After hours I saw she had finally seen my messages begging for her to be OK. I sent her as much encouragementas I could and prayed relentlessly. What I didn't know was that she was in her darkest valley that day. After walking for miles to no avail she had decided to try to sell the only thing she had left, herself. 

When that didn't work she felt she was out of options. 

By the grace of God she is still here today. 

It's not an accident that we met or that we became friends. God has a plan and although I may not understand the full extent of it I really do feel blessed that he brought us together.

We've now been friends for over two years, we've laughed together, cried together and prayed together.

 

The difference in our countries is monumental. Everything from money to food, supplies and resources. I send what I can weekly to get them through but I'm on a budget myself not because she is asking but because God has put it on my heart to give and give freely. I've gone to God and asked for a miracle. 

The Phillipines is a generationally poverished country. There's no food banks, or homeless shelters. Matter of fact I just read about a woman who tried to establish a food pantry there. Her food pantry consisted of a table on the street with a few canned goods. She was quickly shut down and labeled an outcast for drawing attention to the unspoken needs of the community. Unfortunately the powers that be don't want anyone to know the true level of poverty, homelessness, and hunger that exists there. Janimes story is real and she's not alone.I will for the safety of all parties involved disclose that everything written here comes from a trusted source and is verified to be heartbreakingly true. These facts were given to me in confidence however stories of this nature are fleeting or not usually told due to fear of retaliation. 

 

 I may not be able to help every single person but I sure am going to try to help this one incredible family that's been put on my journey. 

The medical system there is a sad story, Janime has hepatomegaly with fatty lesions. Her swollen belly and exhausting symptoms that have been magnified due to the broken healthcare system. Yes they have subpar public healthcare but in my opinion our veterinary clinics would do a better job. 

They have public hospitals but when you go there you will wait days sometimes weeks in a waiting room. Basically you go there to die in the lobby. Or you have the private hospitals which you can get in but if you don't have the money to pay upon release your not allowed to leave. Medical bills don't just ruin your credit like here they can actually detain you.

One time she went to the emergency department with severe life threatening symptoms only to be handed a piece of paper. Sending her on her way for blood work to be done at a different facility that would only be done upon payment which she didn't have. In the rare chance she were able to obtain lab results she would met with more financial burden of paying a pcp to discuss treatment options.

It's a broken system.

 

Even at the time I am telling our story her entire family is sick. Two of her children are at the tail end of a hospital stay of which she has to come up with the bill for them to leave. Her son has a burn on his face and eyes from an accident at home that happened while the parents were away at the hospital. 

Prayers for healing are welcome and necessary. 

I have been able to find a way to send physical basic necessities such as otc medicine, first aid, and lotions for a reasonable cost. I've done that once and have 2 boxes taped and ready to go when the finances become available. 

There is a lot of moving parts to this story as you can see but my focus right now is on housing. We can not allow her family to be tossed into the street. Although her one room is humble it provides a safe space for them to be. 

Janime was notified in August 2021 that the building she lives in is to be sold in February 2022. 

In December I asked Janime how much they want for the building. She asked the owner and they said 100k Phillipine peso, which is around $2000 usd. 

I have launched a fund raising effort to purchase the building. And by faith I know the right people will read this and help them. I put a jar on my station at the barbershop and made a gofundme page. We have raised $400. After sending that to her she met with the building owner to sign a contract. That down payment secured the building Lord willing we raise the remainder of money. 

Now we just have to get the word out. This family is beyond deserving of a roof over their head and I know that we can do this. 

Honestly in the blessing of knowing Janime i have come to know my own blessings. I see just how incredibly rich we live here in America. No I may not live in a mansion but to others it would be. Each one of us has something to give I believe that. 

With the purchase of this building it will provide much needed income to her family. As the other 3 rooms in the building are already rented to 3 other families. 

It will keep 4 families in total including Janimies in a warm secure place.

We can't allow these families to be homeless not when we live in such abundance!

I've done my research as well and will share some of what I've found... 

There are 3.1 million homeless people living in Manila where her family lives. This city has the highest homeless population of any in the world. In the Philippines, more than 1.2 million children are homeless and over half of these are found in Manila alone.

Honestly we have it good here in America. I will also note that God has brought me to this journey for a reason, and your reading this for a reason. I serve a loving God who I may not see the other side of his plans but I stand on his promise that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. Perhaps this will grow into helping more people in these dire circumstances. We should all help someone, and being faithful in doing so makes a world of difference. 

I heard a story once about an old man walking a beach. A big storm had gone through the night before and washed thousands of starfish onto the beach. He was strolling picking them up one by one and tossing them back into the ocean because once the sun got high they would die.. A boy came along and said to him why are you doing that? It's not like your making a big difference. The old man leaned down picked one more up and tossed it again saying "it made a big difference to that one". 

 

 

 

Please make a big difference to this one. Give in any amount you feel is on your heart. If your unable to give share this as much as you can that makes a big difference as well. Pray and send this to your circle of prayer warriors. May God bless you for your kindness. 

Thank you 

Tiffany