November 22, 2008

While a lot of people are at wit’s end trying to figure out how to get their holiday shopping started or how to be done with it before Christmas, there are people who have problems that are far worse. I’m referring to the people of Payatas.

Payatas is the biggest landfill in the Philippines and has been in existence for 35 years. I’m quite sure you’ve heard of it. People -children and adults alike- work by scavenging through mountains of trash hoping to make enough to buy food for the day. The conditions are beyond deplorable. Instead of going to school, children as young as four years old, find themselves digging through all the mountains of trash to help the family get through the day.

Fortunately, Totedaddy.com and Lighthouse Center for Children Foundation organized a children’s charity initiative called Christmas For Payatas. In the Christmas for Payatas website, there is a youtube video which shows the harsh conditions people live in in Payatas.

The cause already has a number of prominent supporters from politicians to athletes and other celebrities. But you don’t have to be a prominent person to help. You, too can contribute and do your share in support of this worthy initiative. Giving, after all, is what Christmas is all about.

oOo

For more information, here’s the Christmas for Payatas press release:

The landfill in Payatas, The Philippines, is notoriously known the world over as Smokey Mountain. For over 35 years, the smoking dump site has grown to become a stark and heart-tugging reminder of the desperate onditions of humanity.

On a daily basis, children pick through newly arrived garbage to
collect material to sell. The earnings made by one child are not enough to even buy food for the day. Hence, entire families are forced to climb the mountain each day, hoping to earn enough to feed everyone. Children as young as four years old are forced to work in this daily struggle for survival.

In response to the plight of these children, Totedaddy.com is working with Lighthouse Center For Children Foundation to bring a little cheer to the children this Christmas.

Totedaddy.com has kicked off with a cash sponsorship of USD 10,000 to enable the children to celebrate Christmas. FusionExcel International has also pitched in a USD 5,000 in cash sponsorship. The money raised
will help fund the projects already in place, and help fund additional projects aimed at providing better housing, and a means of livelihood for the Payatas community.

It is hoped that by creating better awareness to the plight of these children, more support can be garnered towards their betterment. Together we can bury poverty!

1 Comment »

1. 

   Let’s really help Payatas people: http://www.savepayatas.com

   [Reply]

   Comment by Pastor Jack Wilson — May 16, 2009 @ 11:28 pm

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