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Blind Faith in Fataldao

May 3, 2007

Purok Fataldao
General Santos City
Mindanao, Philippines

The first sight of a steep descent into the canyon comes into view as we top the hill.  In a driving rain, the road, not much more than two ruts in the dirt, funnels the flow of water down to a river we’ll soon need to cross.

“Look at the road on the other side of the river.  It’s really steep. And, muddy.  I’ll have to be in 4-Wheel drive to make it up there”, I tell Movi.

Movi, my lady, and three others, two social workers and Geraldine, a board member of GRACE, can do nothing but watch the action.

With the rain quickly turning the road into a quagmire, a quick exit from the vehicle to crank in the 4-Wheel drive on the front hubs is necessary.  This vehicle will now crawl up a wall if need be.

“Ms. Magante, my project, the project of GRACE this time I’m in General Santos City, is ‘Project Child Save.  We need to identify children who are considered to be at risk.  We’ll then help those children by getting them into school and help the families of those children.”

Ms. Magante, director of the City Social Welfare and Development, (CSWD), is meeting with me to discuss my project plans for GRACE this time in Gensan.

She recalls, “Once when I was in Fataldao I met a girl. She’s in her teens.  She’s blind.  She held my arm and told me, ‘I want to go to school’.”

Her story tugs on my heartstrings.  This girl has some initiative.

Ms. Magante tells a story of poverty and lost hope for those living in an area described to me as a “Dumping ground for bodies.”  This is Fataldao in the Barangay of San Jose. It’s one of the poorest areas in the General Santos region, situated in the southernmost part of Mindanao, Philippines.

Ms. Magante continues, “There are two boys in a small village on the way up to where she lives.  Both have muscular dystrophy.  They need food.  There’s a new school that’s being started to serve the children of that area.   But, they have no supplies. I can arrange for you to talk with the Social Worker of that area.”

About 40 children are gathered in a building now doubling as a church and a schoolroom.   All ages are present.  They’ve been informed we’re coming.

As written in my notes, “They have no books, they have no tables, they have no chairs, they have no water and they have no food.  They still come to school.”

The classroom is stark.  Most of the children are standing.  We deliver to their teacher approximately P7,000 worth of school supplies.  ($150.00) Friends in the U.S donated the money for these supplies.

Before we leave, 15 kilos of rice is removed from the back of the vehicle and given to the children’s teacher.

“Do you have someone here who can cook this for the children today?”, I ask.

With a smile he says, “Yes, we’ll do that”.

Farther up the road, we stop and leave a supply of rice and other foodstuffs at the hut of the two boys who have muscular dystrophy.  The mother isn’t present.  An uncle gives us his thanks.

Hard times are etched not only into this land but also onto the faces of those having to live here.  Poverty casts its shadow over everything.

With the windshield wipers slapping away the first rain in three months we descend on a road that crosses a river.  The rain hasn’t yet caused the waters to rise. Crossing isn’t a problem.  It’s the steep road ahead that would give any vehicle a problem…. except this one.  We’re driving a 1986 Mitsubishi Pajero. (Montero, in the U.S.)

Rounding a corner on the narrow muddy road we find a truck, heavily loaded with sacked cement, has blocked the way.  It’s abandoned. There’s no way around it.

Movi and I get out of the vehicle. She has the umbrella.

We discuss the situation.

The village can be seen from here.  It’s looks to be about a half of a kilometer away.

“You want to walk up there?”   Movi agrees.

We ask the others to stay with the vehicle.  There’s a possibility we might be able to find the driver of the truck and get him to move it.

On a road, having turned to mud, we walk to the village in the rain. It is here we find Merly Matlasa and her family. They had no idea we were coming.

Merly,16 years old, has lost most of her sight.  Her affliction is amblyopia.  She’s lived in a bamboo hut all of her life.   She has had no formal education.   She has yet to learn English.  However, she appears to be intelligent.  Her father works for another man, tending livestock and crops.  The mother is at home.

We discussed with Merly and her parents our hopes for Merly.

Two of the others, having waited long enough in the vehicle, arrive.   They’re wet and muddy after having walked through a driving rain on a muddy road.

After “Goodbye’s” to her family, Merly leaves the mountain with us.

“Movi, ask her if this morning she could have ever imagined what God would bring her this afternoon.”

Movi, in Tagalog, asks her.

Merly replies, “Yes! I prayed this morning that someone would come to help me.”

It’s only now, driving down the mountain, I learn it’s been more than two years since Merly told Ms. Magante she wanted to go to school. Things move slowly here in the Philippines.

Merly stayed with us for a week.  She’s now a resident of the General Santos City Girls Shelter.

Through GRACE, I’ve hired a tutor for Merly.  She receives instruction in all school subjects for two hours a day.  This will continue until school starts in June.  Soon, she will begin mobility training as it relates to her sight impairment, (Amblyopya).  GRACE will pay for Merly’s school materials, uniforms and transportation to and from school.

Merly tells me, “If you want to help me, help my family.”

The rest of the Matlasa family, in addition to the help Merly is receiving, is benefiting also.   GRACE has supplied all of the building materials, along with my labor, for the construction of a chicken brooding house, chicken pen, supplies and tools.  The Matlasa family, this Friday, the 4th of May, will be the proud owner of a flock of 21 Native Chickens.

We’re told by Merly, “Many times we eat only once a day.”

GRACE is supplying, for a period of four months, supplemental food for the family and feed for the chickens.

Giving this family a chance to pull themselves out of poverty while educating Merly is the priority of this project.

As I told Mr. & Ms. Matlasa, through an interpreter, “The day you can say you no longer feel you’re living in poverty is our first step to success.”

I have one month before I head back to the U.S.   Before leaving I hope to have two more families enrolled in the GRACE, “Project Child Save.”

There are many more children like Merly who need our help. Your continued support for GRACE continues to provide that help.

Your reply to this Mission Update is always appreciated.

Thanks to all,

George D. Mertz
Executive Director

z.poet@verizon.net