SOLVENT

"this is how we face our problems" says a 12-year old boy.

part of my previous post, STREETKIDS, as one of the major problems in our society, i was half-convinced with the reasons which were stated from some articles i encountered about how they exists on streets.

November 2003 when i and my classmates went out for a stroll in Tacloban City at 11pm late. that was after our POST HALLOWEEN PARTY. a bunch of streetkids meet us halfway and begged from us any amount. there were 5 of them, all boys and wears dirty clothes. they seem to own the streets and looks like out of their consciousness. KAT opened her purse and gave them 5peso coin, the other boy saw that there were a lot in the purse, so they demand for some. CHARITO, told them nicely that it was enough and we've got nothing to give anymore, but the other kid insisted.

while there was an argument between us and the boy's group, some older kids approached and some were as big as we are. they interrogated one of the little kids and asked if who's starting the commotion. the boy told him that our group started it, they were just begging for more just a little, and we refused to give.

one of them brought bunch of barbecue sticks and lend it to his friends, there were already 9 of them and 7 of us. 4 girls and 3 boys and they were 9 boys. so, we decided to lend them additional 5pesos just to end up the argument, but when kat gave the coin to LITO, the girls walked fast, and when Lito gave us the signal, he kicked of the boys and we ran.

the boys ran on the other side and planned to trap us on the other side. we passed through a 24-hour DONUT STORE and spent the whole time there while waiting for the service to arrive.

until now my mama doesn't know about that incident.

sadly, not all street kids are craving for foods. that night we had encountered the most famous solvent boys in downtown, they bullies kids, snatches and hold-ups. the week after, we tried to ask some of the street kids in that area, they were even bullied by those nasty kids and the money they earned from a whole day begging on the streets and supposed to be bought for foods were sometimes taken away from them. they even pointed out a pity boy on the street who was acting like he was so hungry and tears falls from his eyes. he knows how to fool people, but the small beggar told us that by night he uses solvent and chases him (the small kid i talked with) and when they caught him, all his money will be gone.

night comes and all these kids are still on the streets. others we asleep while some continues on begging and asking for leftovers outside some food bars. but on the dark corners you'll see some of them inhaling the yellow sticky material that they said their food. even girls are using it, they seem to have party and a RUGBY session.

RUGBY or RUBBER CEMENT is a solution of unvulcanized (gum) rubber in a solvent, and is used as an adhesive.

the question is, who provides them solvent? is the local government responsible for this matter?

i found out that they could easily acquire RUGBY from hardware stores. their group is headed by a 20-year old boy (that was according to the kid i talked with lately) who usually bought the solvent from these stores. he repacks the material and resells it to the younger beggars. at around 4pm when he bought the solvent and they had their assembly at around 6pm for the distribution of the solvent. after acquiring the solvent from their head and scatters.

some of them says, it is a heavenly feeling and it makes them forget their hunger. after the solvent's effect went into their brains, they seemed to be floating, they're dancing and singing and as if the whole city is their own playground. the authority got nothing to do with them, they're just eyeing them and advices them not to do those things, they don't even know where to put those kids, because they were too young to be in jail.

according to one of the policeman, sometimes they took the kids and bring them to the department responsible to social welfare but these kids aren't happy and finds a way to get out from there. they couldn't stop to use and find a way to have the solvent that could make them feel that the world notices them.

sad truth about the kids on the streets!

what can we do?

(picture courtesy of: http://blogshaveeyes.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/rugby1.jpg)