Despite Despair, Goodness Shines Through Sometimes
Published in The Universe
(April 13, 2003)
A LOT of what I have to report about the work defending the rights of the abused children can be disheartening and sad. But there is much good news too. Together with our faith that God is working with us and through our many friends and supporters the small successes we see are what help to keep us working on day by day.
Only last week, a young girl achieved justice for a five-year battle against her abuser.
As a seven-year-old, Annabel was cruelly abused by the live-in partner of her mother, who was herself battered by him. He whipped the child with wires and a metal tube and sexually abused her.
After a long struggle in a creaking judicial system with its endless delays and having bravely given testimony in court, Annabel saw her abuser convicted of rape and given a life sentence.
There are 37 children in the PREDA residential care centre recovering from the trauma of the abuse, but there are many more in the surrounding community we help also.
A big success story is that of Marlyn and Pia, former prostituted children, who were both placed under the custody of PREDA and recovered from the abuse. They then testified against their abusers in Holland and Germany who had fled the Philippines. PREDA filed charges against them in their respective countries and they were found guilty.
Marlyn is an empowered young lady now and in her second year of college taking up social work. She wants to help children abused as she was. Marlyn went to Germany last February as a guest of the stars of a TV detective series and together they promoted the PREDA Fair Trade dried mangos projects during the street Cologne Street carnival. She also gave talks in schools about her life and recovery.
Pia, also an active children's rights activist, will graduate from high school this March. First prostituted at eleven-years-old Pia has fully recovered and has traveled to Germany and Japan. She is an active speaker about the prostitution of children and her own experiences at the hands of pedophiles and pimps.
Another former prostituted child, Gemma, is graduating too. She has been selected for the PREDA Youth Advocacy Theatre and will tour Europe this May and June presenting the musical drama about the trafficking of children.
It was a wonderful day a few weeks ago when six of the children at PREDA Children's Home received confirmation. The children attended lif-in-the-spirit seminas, where five of them won top prizes in a Bible quiz.
The children find a rich spiritual life here, a big change after life in a brothel or on the streets or being abused and abandoned. Recently 20 children formed a choir and are practising daily. What a change in dancing in sex clubs!
One girl said she had a lost brother abandoned in Manila. Last week, PREDA social workers searching far and wide found him living as a street urchin. He is now happily reunited with his sister.