A story of courage and empowerment through love
(republishing, copying, no restrictions)
By: Father Shay Cullen
One day a distraught and troubled old lady came to the PREDA children’s Home weeping and asking the social workers for help in rescuing her granddaughter Alyssa who was only three years old. She had heard that PREDA has a special rescue team of social workers who can take child from dangerous and abusive situations and bring them to safety and give protection from pedophiles and exploiters. The story began when she was only three years old. The Grandmother, Aling Josie, was her name, reported to us that her granddaughter was being held in bondage by the owners of a funeral parlor. And she wanted Alyssa to whom she had every right.
“Even though I am poor”, she told me, “I can give her the love and care she needs. The rich family will use Alyssa as a play child, and then a domestic slave when she grows up”.
Unfortunately that sometimes happens to the children of the poor. In desperation when poor parents unemployed, sick and hungry and cannot feed their children and they have nothing left but the child. They give them for a non-legal adoption to the rich family so the child will survive.
The wealthy family looks for such children at times especially when the children of that family have grown up and the mother is feeling the loneliness for an “Empty Nest”. When all her children are away at college and she wants a child. At times it can be for good of the children and get a happier life and the parents get help too.
Sometimes it can be bad and the child grows up as the unpaid domestic servant and can be sexually abused by the adult sons of the “adopting” family.
In this case, Alyssa was taken by the owner of the funeral parlor not just because they wanted a child to love and care for but they wanted Alyssa as a payment for funeral expense for the child’s dead mother who had just been buried after she died of hunger and malnutrition.
There was no one to protect Alyssa after her mother died and was buried; the paternal uncle and aunt had no interest and no money. They gave Alyssa to the owner of the funeral parlor as a payment. Then Aling Josie, her grandmother arrived from a far off province and discovered what had happened to her granddaughter and came to PREDA for help.
When the rich family was facing a threat of kidnapping and extortion charges by Preda they surrendered Alyssa to Aling Josie. Preda helped the grandmother financially and saw that Alyssa was well cared for.
After several months, Aling Josie, the grandmother became ill and despite all our medical assistance she eventually died. The paternal uncle and his wife took custody of Alyssa as they were the only living relatives. Alyssa grew. She was made the house slave of all the family.
Alyssa was 13 years old when she left her relatives and got a job caring for a paralyzed old woman. Alyssa had to wash and clean the old lady and meet her every bodily need. It was a hard dirty and difficult work for a 13 year old. In return she got shelter food and pocket money. She was deprived of proper schooling love and security. Then one day she heard about the children’s home from friends and she had the courage and intelligence to come by herself and ask for help. She is a courageous and brave little girl AND BEGAN A NEW LIFE. Today she is an intelligent girl getting high grades in school, a student leader and with a bright future. End. (Fr. Shay's book, Passion and Power, An Irish missionary's fight against child sex slavery, will be published in Ireland 1 November 2006)
Fr. Shay Cullen is a Columban missionary: PREDA Centre, Kalaklan, Olongapo City. www.preda.org
