I am desperate to share the incredible experience my family and I had in the Philippines this summer. We volunteered with Kids International Ministry in [email redacted] Please read about just one day of our adventure and check out our photos. Our guide brought a caravan of us to Tondo. The group included my family, about 8 Australians, a pastor and a few guides. We went to Smokey Mountain. Smokey Mountain is a garbage dump that people now live on! It is one of the most impoverished areas in the world. The people who live there collect food from the garbage of fast food restaurants, wash it and recook it to survive. The children are dirty and hungry. They live their whole lives in makeshift houses that we would never dream of spending one hour in. Most sleep on the floor and have no running water or electricity.. It was a long haul. My sons carried a huge heavy pot of hot food up the mountain. We were met by rows of filthy children sitting patiently with whatever bowl or cup they could find in the garbage. They stared at us with huge brown eyes. Along with the cauldron of food, we brought a large speaker. I had no idea why. Once we got to the top of the pile of garbage, I was anxious to feed these children. However our guide told me that first we sing and DANCE! What?! Are you insane? These kids are hungry and it is 105 degrees. The music started. The kids stood up. They all knew the song and the steps. The next thing I knew I was dancing on the top of a garbage dump with a bunch of strangers. We were dripping sweat. The kids were smiling. The energy was contagious. Of course, DANCE! It brings me so much joy and has made my life what it is. Why wouldn’t dance and music change the lives of these kids? After a few songs, the kids formed a line and we fed them. Then we carried the pot to another community called Aroma (named for the horrible stench). Again we were met by dirty hungry little faces, but this time we knew the choreography! My son and I danced like we were at a party. It was a party in a room with barely any light and wet floors. It was as much fun as any party I have been to. Again, we fed the children until the pot was empty. These feedings were a gift to me and my family. I went on this trip to try to help or make some kind of difference. My one visit to the Philippines did not have any impact at all on the gross poverty. However, the impact it had on me was immense. I thought we would go to Manilla one time to let my boys see where their grandparents were from. I told my husband “one and done”. However, I am not done. I need to help more. I need to share with others. I will go back! I would like to reach out to my Glen Dance families and everyone else. I have set a goal to raise $1000.00 during the month of August to send over Kids International Ministry to help. I am asking for your help. Please donate. No amount is too small. I connected with these kids because they are no different than the kids in our studio, except they are hungry I would love to share more stories with you. Please feel free to ask! With love, Ms. Kim xoxo “KIDS International Ministry is located in the Philippines and is working to break the cycle of poverty in the communities around us. The cycle is caused by a mindset of individuals and families in the communities who believe that they will never be more than the community they reside in. They believe that where they live defines who they are. We provide care through an orphanage, education, birthing clinic, youth outreach, family outreach, and volunteer programs.”
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