We Miss The School in a Cart, by David Farinas
The New Year started out with what looked like a setback for The School in a Cart in Cubao, the Philippines. After obtaining an indoor shelter with a private lot for parking the Cart in 2014, an answer to prayers we never expected, trouble with the lease put the Cart and the students back out on the streets of Quezon City and with no access to water. Principal Alfredo and Teacher Nonie found a local restaurant where the children could have a meager breakfast before school, but it wasn’t the meal they were used to at The School in a Cart, A.K.A. ‘Breakfast in a Cart.’ The street children went to school dirty, since their ‘Shower in a Cart’ was useless without water.
After a lot of pleading, praying, and negotiations, The School in a Cart will move back into the Center at the end of the month! It has been a difficult time, as you can see from young David Farinas’s essay (below), but something positive has come from the upset. David’s parents, Daniel and Neneng, as well as his siblings Dianne, Daniella, Daniel Jr., Dennis, and Diego will move into a section of the shelter’s compound (and off the street) to serve as property caretakers. We’re so grateful for this new open door which, again, far exceeds what we thought was possible.
David and his family’s home on the street.
In sharing David Farinas’s essay “We Miss The School in a Cart,” we want to say Thank You to an anonymous donor who continues to help make the Center a special place of learning and care for the children.
Translated from Tagalog:
Dear Sponsor,
For two months we experience difficulties when we “lost” our Center. Unlike in the Center, we do not have water thus we were always dirty. After school, we also do not have a place to take a nap and rest properly because in the street it is either too hot or raining.
I wish we have our own permanent Center.
Thank you!
(Note: it was actually 5 weeks that The School in a Cart was out of the Center.)
David,
This is your best essay yet! I’m sorry it is about a tough time, going on without the usual help of The School in a Cart, and not knowing if it will again function as it did in the Center. You can have faith that Alfredo and Nonie and all of us at Lift the Lid will do what we can to support you in going to school. Have faith that God, who loves you, wants you to complete school, as well. You will be able to help others and live a happier life if you are educated.
We hope you like your new home in the Center’s compound! Maybe it will inspire you to write an essay about it, what it looks like, and how it makes you and your brothers and sisters feel. Take care of yourself and your siblings and do your best at school!
Sara
Dear David
Thank you for writing your letter. It gives us an insight from the children’s perspective of the blessing school-in-a-cart has been and moving to the Center. The loss of which has had a huge impact on you and the other children.
In Australia, where I am from, we have running water, and can’t imagine how hard it must be for you and the others not to have water on hand. Except for when we went camping, that is.
We will keep praying for you all, we are pleased to here you can be back in the centre at the end of the month. We hope that many more sponsors will get on board to help you all, as well.
God bless and keep writing.
Deborah Blackbourn