Rallying round for struggling family
Community aids Filipino strangers
A Perthshire man who became stranded in a rural area of the Philippines four years ago has finally been able to repay the kindness of strangers.
During his travels in southeast Asia, maths teacher Stevie Simpson was forced to wild camp in mosquito-ridden scrubland in 40C heat and 90 per cent humidity when the bus to his next destination was cancelled.
Stevie explained: “I was travelling to Manila and it was very hot. The next bus was days away, but then Christian Pandecan approached me. He is the only one of his family who speaks some English.
“They insisted that I didn’t camp and invited me into their home. I stayed with the family of 10 people, living in two rooms, for four days. It was a wooden shack. They were so hospitable.
“They can’t afford a lot of food but they sacrificed a chicken for me and shared the little they had when they didn’t have to.
“It was an absolute example of selfless humanity.
“I didn’t have any cash on me to repay them at the time. Over the years we have kept in touch. I’ve often tried to repay them but they’ve never accepted or asked for anything.”
But recently Stevie, from Comrie, discovered that the family’s home had been destroyed in the monsoons, and there was more bad news as tuk tuk driver Julien – the head of the family and the only one with a means of income – had become unable to work as a result of arthritis.
Stevie and his friend Gillian Brock, who has also got to know Christian over the years, paid for initial medical consultations and blood tests to ascertain if Julien could be treated.
Treatment is available, but at a cost, so the pair decided to seek help from the wider community.
And they have been overwhelmed by the response – more than reaching their target of £1800.
Stevie said: “We have been overwhelmed by the donations. The sums we are raising are lifechanging for this family.”
Gill continued: “Christian had to give up his education and work away from home to pay for his dad Julien’s medical treatment.
“He was trapped in a job as a houseboy in shocking conditions and for little pay, but the money raised here has meant he has been able to free himself and go home and support the family effort, and hopefully be able to return to fulltime education at some point.
“The initial appeal was for medical treatment but we have been overawed by the support, and the extra funds will enable the family to rebuild their house.
“I can’t tell you how much this means to the Pandecan family. All Christian keeps doing is thanking us. They cannot believe that people from a country that know nothing about them have that level of compassion.”
Stevie added: “I don’t normally get involved with fundraising beyond local causes but this cause is something that is extremely personal and very close to my heart.
“It was a plea for help from a family who showed me extreme kindness during a difficult period in my travels.
“Despite their poverty, they gave when they had nothing to give.
“Any extra that comes in now will go towards purchasing a vendors’ licence in the local market to enable the family to become self-sufficient and provide a long-term income stream.
“As one of our donators, Colin Boag, said: ‘The kindness felt through selfless generosity towards an individual is contagious. With more acts like this in the world, it will be a better, more friendly, less insular and less self-serving and less selfish place. I hope one day this is a viral pandemic that all of us are infected with.’”
If anyone would like to donate, contact Mrs Brock on 07840 930437 or visit https://www.gofundme. com/f/philipines-family-plight