Lock your doors! (Bruce is back)

[Bruce]

Well, I survived another 40 hour journey. Adapting to the time change well. Stopped at a local poor school where I had paid to have a CR installed a few months back. Came across a retarded girl, 13, who was hanging around one of the windows, looking into the school classroom. Apparently there are 5 kids in her family, two older boys who do not go to this school, then the 13 year old who is not a student, and her 10 year old sister and a younger boy in 2nd grade.

The mother is absent as she is a house helper living in Tacloban, some 80 +- miles away. The father is a farmer and the family house is a nipa hut up in the foot hills outside of town. 2+ kilometers up the hill from the school. The retarded girl does not speak. She follows the 10 year old to and from school and stands outside the classroom window all day watching through the window.

Information supplied and verified by school staff who have known the family for years. The family has no phone but borrows a neighbor's phone so the mother can stay in touch with the family every week. The 10 year old is in charge and takes care of the family while the father is working on 'the farm'. School staff says she is the responsible one in the family as the two older boys do little to help.

I gave the girl a phone and 5 kilos of rice, some canned meats, shampoo, coffee and chocolate drink mixes and a few cooking related things. Also bought a backpack and quietly gave her 1,000p and told her to give to her father. I said quietly and in looking at the pictures, you can see why....

[Jollygoodfellow]

Do they know how to load it or have the means to buy load ?

 

 

[Bruce]

I supplied a Talk N Text brand sim, which is a no frills version owned by SMART. They can load off a bought card, but mostly the locals buy a 5p-15p load off a local store and that load is transferred off a phone owned by the store which has a large load in it. There are various unlimited texting promos good for 1 day for as little as 10 to 15p. However, this girl / family is most likely in a social group that has limited money and access to a phone, so loading is not that great of a concern. As the mother is working, she can load her phone and then send a load to the girl's phone (not Globe) and then they can text or call.

Once I am gone, loading is their responsibility. But without the phone, loading is moot. By giving the phone, it opens possibilities that do not exist without the phone. I was impressed by the school's willingness to not cause an issue for the retarded girl and allowing her to stay all day at the school.

[JJReyes]

The 10 years old looks happy and proud after receiving her mobile phone. It is hard to believe someone so young would be burdened with responsibility for the care of other family members while attempting to educate herself by attending school.

[mogo51]

Well done Bruce, a fine example of caring and community spirit.