Blogging to Help Others: April 2008

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Blogging for baby Valerie

The global food crisis that has caused prices to go up 83% in the last three years has hit the Philippines equally hard. The World Sisters United members are reporting rice is double the price from last year. We are trying hard to give as much help as possible to our members who are struggling in a big way. Baby Valerie (grand daughter of Lola Veronica) needs money for food. Her big sister is World Sisters United Director of our Malasqui chapter. Please give what you can to help feed this child.

Please help to feed Baby Valerie!

Memorial Blog for Lola Veronica

Lola Veronica, 89 years old, passed away leaving behind a great family who loved her dearly. She is missed already and will be missed. When I met Lola Veronica in 2006 she was very spirited and very animated. She was the only one in the village of Malasiqui that really knew the traditional old Pangasinan folk songs from that region. I was fortunate enough to hear her sing. Such a lovely voice and what a lovely soul was Lola Veronica. A Lola well loved by all.

Pictured here is Lola Veronica's family from Malasiqui, Philippines. A lovely family that were blessed with a very great Lola. It was Lola Veronica that really carried on a zeal for life and handed it down to her many offspring. God be with you Lola Veronica in your journeys to the beyond!

To send a dollar to the surviving family please click here:

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Ate Anna reports on Glen from Manila

So after the near miraculous fund raising that funded the thousand dollar coronary angiogram the resulting news of the tests are sobering. As Ate Anna reports here in her emails from Manila the problem with Glen's heart is clear to the doctors now and the report shows that he needs a heart operation that is estimated at 500K peso. Ate Anna has told me that the PhilHealth and some other Gov funded help will bring down the price considerably but it's still an enormous amount and it's still a risky operation. So Ate Anna will be returning with Glen back to Angeles to rest after the big ordeal. We will have to return to drawing board here with our fundraising. The important thing is we know what is wrong now and we can move forward with getting the operation that Glen needs to survive. Here are the latest emails from Ate Anna about Glen:

hello kuya! hi how r u.. me still here at manila kuya. wait all the result of the angiogram of glen.. and he still wait to be strong glen bec is his blood presure become slow and slow.. and he always attack glen not have air in his body so he need oxcegen..so maybe a couple of days we stay here kuya.. is really sad bec glen is not have a good health right now. maube he also nervouse for the result:(.. untill we dont know the result of his angiogram maybe glen is not become good.. i think..u know kuya is hard here in manila everything here need to pay and high food and everything:(...and is big city that maybe if im not always ask people wer all the place maybe i dont know how back here..:(.. if we go home kuya i send the pix of glen.. we need still to raise money for glen if have operation..:(..and hope and pray alot that have agood result..i hope kuya.. pls understand what situation i have right now.. still i need money kuya for foods and transportation here.. hope u can send me here.. just any amount u can afford to send kuya just 1k is help here.. thank u so much.. pls pray me and glen here.. thank u kuya we love u.. send me just 1k kuya.. tnx.love u. god bless us. and help us..

hi kuya i cant ym cost only email here at the long run far in here hospital.. we know the result of the angiogram..:(have an operation but still not sfe for glen.. the problem is the muscle inside of his heart not function and bulvary of inside of his heart is not in his place of his heart so we need to back in his place inside of his heart. and change battery of his heart..so he become normal again in his heart just only battery for his heart,:( but the operation for all this is 500,000.00 is this the cost amount.:(( when we get the big money of it.. and glen still in hospital bec. of his heart low blood presure maybe he sad or very lonely or i dont know what is fell..:( and me too very lonely bec my connection is cut already and no power in house:(( so i dont too. what will i do.. and the medicine for him not change bec we know the problem of his heart.. the medicine still high to buy...:( kuya email me if u rcv my message i go home tom.. i think so i can get service for glen to go home in angeles.. if u have just any amount kuya send me here on my email is help alot. thank u.:( god bless kuya love u.. tc.

Please give a dollar to pitch for Glen's heart operation!

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Baby Ashley needs formula ASAP

This baby desperately needs baby formula. She won't take breast milk and whenever her mother has no money she feeds her water or sugar water. We are trying to raise any money we can to help supply this baby with formula. Formula costs about US$25 for a week. It's very difficult for someone living on a poverty level to come up with such an amount. Bunso Jhen was telling me her budget yesterday cause I was curious why she couldn't afford formula and when she told me all the numbers it was clear that baby formula was not possible. As she was telling me I could see the baby was crying non-stop in the background because she was hungry. Please give whatever you can to help this baby recieve proper nutrition.

Please help us buy formula for baby Ashley!

Bunso Jessa's house is falling apart

Pictured here is the entrance to the home of World Sisters United Director Jessa Briones who lives in a typical squatters village in Metro Manila. This house is put together with scrap parts and found objects. During the last big typhoon in 2006 it took a big hit and the roof of this house blew away. We are trying to raise the money to rebuild this house by putting in a concrete floor, cinder block walls and tin roof. Jessa's dad and uncle got an estimate on rebuilding it and it came to US$1500. check out my previous blog: http://larriji.blogspot.com/2008/02/bunso-jessas-family-needs-house.html

According to this article http://www.filipinasmag.com/free_2007Meloto.html about Antonio Meloto who is a recipient of the 2007 Filipinas Magazine Achievement Awards:

"In the Philippines, nearly half of the country’s 84 million people are credibly said to live below the poverty line. Forty percent of its urban families occupy what the Asian Development Bank calls ‘makeshift dwellings in informal settlements.’ Slums, in other words"

The severity of this problem is beyond comprehension. What my aim here with World Sisters United is to raise up the lifestyle of a handful of our Directors all around the Philippines to where they can focus on other aspects of their life such as finishing their education and realizing their potential. I chose the various WSU members because they showed leadership qualities, sharp minds and have good hearts. After we get our Directors established on more firm ground in the material world they can then help to barn-raise other peoples houses and small businesses all funded by microgiving dollars from donors like you. All the time we will be creating micro-documentaries to show the progress we make and the lives being impacted and your dollars put to good purpose.

The really hard thing to imagine is that 13 people live in this house. From my estimates it's about 120 sq feet. I asked Bunso Jessa how can so many live here and she said they live "like sardines". Unfortunately we can't expand the footprint but we can certainly make it a dwelling that doesn't take in water. When I was there in Nov 2007 I noticed that water would run through the floor because there wasn't a proper floor, or proper walls to prevent this. This house basically takes in any water over flow from the close-by swamp. This swamp is an accumulation of sewage and run off water from the surrounding Metro Manila area.

Pictured here is one Bunso Jessa's little sister playing in this mold infested house where she lives. For just US$1500 we can rebuild this house and make it solid and mold free. Last year I gave the money for this family to build and stock a small eatery that provides a great deal of their needed income. If families like this don't have some kind of income their daughters like the one pictured will opt to sacrifice themselves and join in the ranks of the sex industry. This will pretty much sew up their fate and they rarely can rise above such a life. They never complete their education and they usually have very short miserable lives as sex workers in the slums of Manila.

In this picture you can clearly see black mold that is a major feature on the interior walls. As most of you know this causes tremendous health problems. With the new house we build here we can alleviate the black mold problem. (Note the previous blog where Jessa's mom has chronic blackouts and needs a CAT Scan.) We are asking for any donation, small or large to build out this house and make it a proper concrete house with tin roof. We will be posting progress on the construction of this house. Please join in on this international barn-raising effort where we join in as a global community and pitch in what we can.

Please help us build Bunso Jessa's house!

Donate a dollar now!

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Blogging for Bunso Jessa's mom

Pictured here is Bunso Jessa's mom. Bunso Jessa is a World Sisters United Director living in a squatters village in Manila, Philippines. Her mom has been having blackouts for over a year now and has been advised by the doctors to get a cat scan to find out what is causing the blackouts. This woman has an important role to play as she has eleven children to take care of. She is an amazingly friendly and kind person. I meet her whenever I go to the Philippines for production workshops and our World Sisters United nomadic summits where we go to each of our 8 chapters and teach how to make documentary films and learn ways to better our lives. So please send a dollar now to help us fund a cat scan for this great soul who deserves to see her family grow up. We are also trying to help build out this families house, which is the most pathetic house I have seen where 13 people live. Please help us now. The cat scan costs 6000 peso. (US$140). Please give as much as you can. She had a blackout just yesterday so this is an urgent request. Please contact me at larriji@gmail.com for further information. Or if you are a medical practitioner in Manila who can help. Thank you and God Bless.

Please help us to raise the funds for a cat scan now!

Friday, April 11, 2008

Blogging for Bunso Lita's CR in Samar

It's hard to really see what this is especially if you live in an industrialized nation that is materially endowed. In the Philippines this is called a "CR" or comfort room. But we would know it as a bathroom. This particular bathroom is at the home of one of World Sisters United Directors Bunso Lita, who lives on the island of Samar. For those familiar with the USA's history of intertwining with the Philippines you will remember the important role the island of Samar played. This is the island where the USA lost a key battle when we were at war with the Philippines. (This is something our history books seem to over look.) Also the place Leyte is near Samar. Leyte is where Gen Douglas MacArthur made his famous return there on the shores of the beach where that famous photo was taken. The people of Samar are descended from a spirited and independent meltdown of several tribes that were mostly fishermen. Today Samar is off the main beaten path for tourism but does draw an occasional surfer or naturalist interested in the lovely waterfalls and tropical foliage. The main problem with Samar today is simply there is little money making opportunities and therefore it has a very low standard of living (by western standards). This CR pictured here is the bathroom for a large extended family. The one bucket serves as a toilets and the other holds your shower water. We are trying to raise up the standard of living for our World Sisters United Directors. So we seek 5000 peso (US$120) to renovate this bathroom and put in some proper fixtures. Please contribute any amount you can and help us to turn this hole into an actual bathroom. Please contact me for more details at larriji@gmail.com.

Give a dollar and help to add some comforts to this comfort room in Samar!

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Major push to get Glen Coronary Angiogram

Glen is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel! Ate Anna has made an amazing push to raise the funds to get Glen his much needed coronary angiogram. All we need to raise is US$338 and he will be in Manila within a day at a highly acclaimed heart clinic. This is really very encouraging. Please help Glen now. Even a dollar helps. Just click the "donate" button to direct deposit into the World Sisters United Filipino bank account. Our Treasurer Kaye Malibiran will then expedite the money immediately after it clears and hand it off to Ate Anna for the medical bills. We will be doing daily updates on Glen's progress. Help now! Thank you and God bless! Here is the latest email from Ate Anna about the recent donation drive:

hi kuya this pix i send it to u is the some people donate and help me to raise money for glen coronary angiogram.. is this 1st pix is marygrace she live at marisol angeles city i tell that we need money for glen in his coronary angiogram and she help me 1k.. the other 1 pix the short hair dress a daster she is my best friend name gay concepcion is friend of mine everytime glen in hosapital she visit and give vetables and fruits she always help in a little things but now she donate me 2k..and my kuya arnold also give me 2k and the one pix is romnick father is name dave quiambao he give also 1k and the last pix is name ferdinand is a bussiness man he donate 4k.. the others donate 5h, 2h.1h..thats why i fine money and all i money i have now is 26k so i need kuya 14k.. bec my auncle is not there.. so maybe i go back later if he donate also.. bec he said he give 2k but is not there.. all i ask help to u kuya is 14k so complete the 40k to do the angiogram of glen..help us kuya maybe the 2k give my auncle is for the transfortation we can use and for foods for go to manila in heart center..i need it soon kuya the 14k.. plsssss.. just that money to complete the money.. so we knows what glen problems and if have a good operation for him.. how wish all this is finish very soon and glen is become normal again.. i pray alot and wish.. thank u to all people give future again for glen.. tnx alot.. and kuya thank u.. may god bless us..

These are just a few of the friends, family and neighbors of Ate Anna who have donated all totalled now 26,000 peso (US$628). We still need 14,000 pesos (US$338) to pay for the coronary angiogram.

This is very exciting that we are at a point where the possibility of getting Glen the treatment he needs. It's been a long struggle for Glen and Ate Anna. For over a year Glen has suffered.

Please give a dollar to help Glen!

Monday, April 7, 2008

Glen back in hospital for another draining

Pictured here is Glen back in the hospital again. For those of you that have been following this story you have seen the plight of Glen, a 30 yr old in Angeles City, Philippines, who has been struggling with his liver and kidneys failing. The doctors in Manila said that the cause is his heart. But there is not the funds to go to the next step of conducting an angiogram to determine what is wrong with his heart. Each draining has been costing upwards to US$150 and these drainings are necessarry every two weeks. So the situation is bankrupting and already poor family. Glen's girl friend, Ate Anna, has gotten PHILHEALTH now so that will reduce some of the hospital bills by 50%. So the situation has improved greatly with that. The angiogram will cost US$1000. And even that will only determine the needed heart operation. So the situation is grave. We need your help now.

Pictured here is Glen with his son. Glen's will to live is very strong, as you can imagine, motivated by the desire to be there for is son. We have received almost US$400 for Glen's cause which has probably saved his life as his condition becomes dire when the toxins build up in his body. Please give whatever you can to help Glen with his ongoing medical costs. Even a dollar will help.

Give a dollar to help Glen now!

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Baby CJ has no milk - infant is on water diet!

World Sisters United is made up of many young mothers and 8 infants at this time! Baby CJ (pictured here) is son of WSU director Raine of Pangasinan. CJ's father works but only makes 2 dollars a day in his construction job. So this is not a case of dead-beat dad not doing the right thing. This is just how hard life is to get by living in the Philippines when trying to make an honest living. Please give whatever you can spare for baby CJ. We will hopefully be posting pictures of CJ drinking formula if we can rally up the funds. Please email me at larriji@gmail.com for any questions. Thankyou and Godbless!

Here is Raine with her baby at her house in Pangasinan, Philippines.

Give a dollar to help buy this baby some formula!

Formula arrives for baby Nicole!

Pictured here is baby Nicole who lives in Angeles City, Philippines. Born to a family without the budget to supply baby formula. This blog shows the cause and effect of peer-to-peer giving. Sean of Northern California sent in 20 dollars to help baby Nicole's parents buy baby formula. And within a day here is the baby (pictured below) enjoying the fruits of Sean's gift. This to me shows how this technology available today can really make a positive difference in people's lives. Thankyou Sean! Baby Nicole, no doubt, is thankful as seen in her look of blissful contentment as she drinks baby formula. We have several other babies we are sponsoring and trying to raise funds for formula and doctor visits etc. Please give to help these babies have a healthy start in life! Contact me at larriji@gmail.com for more info. To donate just click the donate button link and that will send your money direct to World Sisters United bank in the Philippines. We will then quickly expadite the money to the party in need. Please specifiy if there is a certain person you wish to help out here in this blog. Thanks! L

Be a hero!

Give a dollar to help this baby and others like her.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Blogging for baby Ashley

This baby needs money for formula. Her mother has resorted to feeding her powdered milk or sugar water. This is what happens when mothers in the third world have babies who won't breast feed and they don't have money for formula. It stunts growth and really does lesson the potential for the child as they don't get the needed nutrients. I was quite shocked to see how many babies dont breast feed in the Philippines. They don't accept the practice of wet nurses and what happens is the babies just go with very little nutritional food input until they can take solid food. This is really a sad situation. Please send your dollars now to help baby Ashley.

Won't you give a dollar to help this baby?

The follow up story will hopefully show a happy baby drinking a bottle of formula.

Lola Veronica desperately needs your help...

Our World Sisters United Director in Malasqui, Vangie, featured in the blog just before this, has also been suffering the painful deterioration of her grandmother Lola Veronica. Pictured here is some very difficult photos to look at. This is Lola Veronica, who was featured in some earlier blogs here on this site. She has deteriorated quite a bit. She was diagnosed with throat cancer but doesn't have the money for treatment. Living in the Philippines is rough if you have no money. There is no health care or general hospitals people can go to. We have tried to raise $250 dollars for the next level of treatment that could possibly fight the cancer but it seems that it is too late at this point. She does not eat much now.

Shown here is Vangie comforting her grandmother. Vangie asked me a couple of days ago for money to buy adult diapers. She said that at this point all that can be done is to give her diapers to help her stay in some comfort. As well the medicine seems to help a great deal to give her an appetite. So we are begging all of you out there to help Lola Veronica out in her last days.

Vangie will need to keep these diapers in stock and to purchase more medicine. The cost for a week of diapers is about 10 dollars. The medicine cost is about twice that for a week. Please send whatever you can. Just a dollar or two donation will do an amazing service to help this kind elderly lady living in a nipa hut in Malasqui who is just trying to be as comfortable as she can in her last days.

Please pray for Lola Veronica and please send her anything you can spare to help her buy more diapers and medicine. Your money will go direct to her cause.

Please give a dollar to to help Lola Veronica!

Give now!

Ampalaya crop is under progress

Pictured here is World Sisters United Director Vangie who is standing in the first WSU rice field's first harvest. This 2.5 hectacre farm in Malasqui Philippines is now being transformed into an ampalaya field. This has been an exciting and successful adventure as we can practically feed a small village with this single small farm. We rotate crops from rice to corn to ampalaya. (check out my previous blog: http://larriji.blogspot.com/2008/02/small-short-term-loan-sought-for-bunso.html) We have struggled to raise the money to build up the ampalaya vine frames and to buy the seeds. I was able to sell a piece of video gear to help get the farm set up. Pictured below is preparations for the ground. We rented the tractor that is mixing and breaking the soil up.

Pictured here below is the bamboo poles I paid 11,500 peso for. These we can reuse from season to season for at least 3 years. So this is a depreciable capitol expense that saves us a bit over the next few seasons.

Pictured below is the Vangie's father managing the setup of the bamboo into frames for the Ampalaya vine.

Pictured here below is where you can see the use of blue string being tied up to allow the vine to grow on it. The cost of labor 5000 peso (us$120).

The cost of the blue string to cover this 2.5 hectacres was 2000 peso (us$50). The really shocking cost was the seeds that set me back $14,000 peso (us$ 340)

So the next picture shows how amazing mother nature is. The warm air, hot sun and pumped in well water has produced an amazing vine in a very short time.

The total yeild for this crop is estimated to yeild 49K peso. (Which is about us$1179) This amount is enough to provide 50% of the income for this very large extended family of Vangie's seen below living in this small nipa compound near Pangasinan.

Please give a dollar to pitch in to help us to complete the harvest for this Ampalaya farm.

We still need to raise 350 dollars for fertilizer and natural organic pesticide.

Blogging to Help Others