Homelessness

This Christmas, as we celebrate Jesus's birthday, thousands of homeless people will observe it away from their homes. Their homelessness is not a choice; they are victims. Hopefully, their homeless will only be temporary, not like the street dwellers that we often see.

Homelessness is pervasive in Cebu and this kind of existence has become a normal sight.

There are different reasons why they are on the streets now. People are homeless because of fire, or because of typhoons and earthquakes. Others end up homeless because they were illegal settlers.

We get pissed when an able-bodied person begs for alms but our hearts melt when we see young children and the elderly on the streets waiting for what we can give them to fill their empty stomach.

We want to help them, but the notion that we might make them dependent when we give them money and food stops us from doing so. Besides why should we deeply care about them when we ourselves have problems?

These street dwellers have nothing to do with us. Not until one of them grabs our wallet, or barge into our homes to steal our valuables out of hunger.

Children living on the streets and who witness the commission of crime will soon be desensitized and will later be used to perpetrate crimes. Street dwellers deprived of education will live their whole life poor and will most likely engage in illegal activities.

It's actually true that giving alms to these street dwellers will make them dependent. Why? Because in the very first place what we give tem are just fish, when what they really need from us is the acquisition of skills.

As long as no one moves to help them fish so that they can acquire money for their food, house and education, they will proliferate.

Individually, we can do something. The first step is to junk the thought that lending them a hand will make them parasites. Changing our mindsets will help us do our best to help uplift their condition.

The next step is to look for organizations, programs and projects that help the homeless, the street dwellers. They need our attention. They need our help.

There's no place like home, we all agree with that. But there's also no place like home for street dwellers. Hopefully, we will do something about it.-- from Judy-Ann B. Virtucio