Litratong Pinoy#55 Imposible Ba Ito?

These are the kids who were tailing us around when we visited Overview Park, Bukidnon last month. Most of them were selling snacks and candies. Their common words to convince us to buy were "Please buy so we can buy paper and pencil." I was taken aback by what they said because of their little sizes and young ages, I thought that those things should not have been their problems. They should only focus on their lessons or because it was vacation time when we were there, they should have been playing.

Pilipino:
Eto iyong mga batang sunud nang sunod sa amin nang namasyal kami ng Overview Park, Bukidnon nitong nakaraang buwan. Karamiha'y nagtitinda ng mga kakanin at kendi. Ang lagi nilang pangumbinsi na salita, "Bili na kayo, pambili lang ng lapis at papel!". Nabigla ako sa sinabi nila dahil sa ganuung kaliliit at murang isipan, naisip kong hindi dapat nila problemahin ang mga ganung bagay. Dapat leksiyon lang ang problema nila o di kaya, paglalaro lang ang dapat nilang problemahin dahil panahon ng bakasyon nang andoon kami.


The government has a program called "Education For All" but due to poverty, these kids will have a hard time finishing even their elementary schooling if they do not have their paper, pencils and other school needs. They will need the help not only of the government but also from their countrymen.

See, they requested to have their pictures taken and post it on the internet.

Pilipino:
May programa ang gobyerno na "Edukasyon para sa lahat" pero dahil na rin sa kahirapan, kahit libre pa ang edukasyon kung wala namang pambili na lapis, papel at kakailanganin sa pag-aaral mahihirapan pa rin ang mga batang ito na tumapos maski lang man sa elementarya. Kakailanganin nila ang tulong hindi man lang ng gobyerno pati na rin ng kanilang mga kababayan.

O ayan! humingi pa na magpapiktyur sa amin at ilagay daw sa internet.

We were on our way home when this cute kid went after us. She was not selling anything but asked for something to buy for her paper and pencil. I asked her, "Where are your parents?" Her answer: "They are by the street doing some selling."

I asked myself: Is it impossible to eradicate poverty from this country? Is it impossible to help these kids so that the free education program will include free school supplies? Is it impossible to stop greed of people with powerful positions so that we can help give these kids a better future?

Pilipino:
Pauwi na kami nang humabol itong kyut na bata. Wala siyang tinda pero humihingi ng pambili ng lapis at papel. Natanong ko tuloy, "Asan ang mga magulang mo?" Ang sagot niya: "Ayun sila, nagtitinda sa may kalsada."

Tanong ko sa sarili: Imposible bang matanggal ang kahirapan sa bansang ito? Imposible bang tulungan ang mga batang ito para kahit paano iyong libreng edukasyon may kasaling libreng pambili ng kakailanganin sa pag-aaral? Imposible bang tumigil ang kasuwapangan nang mga nasa katungkulan para mabigyan ng mabuting kinabukasan ang mga batang ito?