the sum of parts...

17 days after the publication of Express regarding our fellow Filipinos who were victims of "illegal recruitment", the Filipinos' BAYANIHAN was felt all over the UAE...

Letters circulated within the Pinoy communities - office by office, friends of friends, churches and different religious and non-religious organizations...

in less than a week, these people were able to gather monetary donations, collected goods and organized the mission of helping these innocent Kabayans in the nearby Emirate, Ajman.
11 April 2009 - Black Saturday.

The group organized by Aileen and Jet headed to Hamriya Free Zone, Ajman to visit these 137 Kabayans...
we were individuals, and not identified by any group/organization, some are families... others are friends. to sum it all, there were 9 cars that pulled together with common goal.

not just to give food but to let them know that there are a lot of kabayans here who cares for them and are willing to support them in this plight.

before lunch time, we reached the camp...

at the end of Hamriya Free Zone - opposite damp site.

Where they stay: the accomodation building of Al Tomooh, CYM's partner agency here in UAE. the buildings are still under construction. this area is also being used as an storage area to keep the chemicals (being used for gun powders). these are flammable... in the middle of the desert where the heat reaches 50 degrees - danger is just within their reach, aside from the germs that they can get from a nearby dumpsite.

NO Air Condition. Only generators provide the electricity, which is only from 6-12 midnight. with the dump site as their neighbor, they have to keep their windows open despite of the polluted air. Summer is fast approaching. these men are not camels that can resist the hot temp in this desert.

but despite their situation... we were greeted with the Filipino tradition - "KAMUSTA PO? TULOY PO KAYO..." with sincere smile from their faces.

each of them assisted us, one by one... and as they said, they are getting use to this... since they were visited by thousands of kababayans for almost 3 days then. they even said, "NAUBOS NA PO ATA ANG LUHA NAMIN... NUNG UNA, SA HIRAP NA DINADANAS NAMIN DITO... AT NGAYON, SA DAMI PO NG TULONG NA DUMADATING."

each of them shared their own stories... they never get tired of telling what happened. and they were so grateful for all the help extended to them. despite of this tragedy, these people are still full of strength and determination to fight for the truth.

majority of them - 95% preferred to stay... they think that it is more hopeless in Pinas, compared here. amidst the crisis, these Kabayans are determined to look for some decent job here than to go back to poverty.

while some of us are talking to these men, others were preparing the lunch for them. with these Filipino dishes, the lunch has been a little "fiesta" that makes the "salo-salo" more special.

after lunch, they invited us to come inside and show their rooms, tell stories on how they are managing to survive...
Filipinos creativity and funny side were seen as we walk the hallway... in each doors, their group and names were posted...

yet these doors are open to those who want to enter their world.

as we come inside... their smiles welcomes their visitors. the glow in their eyes were enough to express their gratitudes for all the help that they received.

their rooms were crowded, yet it is clean... they might be lacking resources but they were able to improvised some things... they covered the windows with transparent wrappers to illiminate the coming of the polluted air from dump site, repair some gas stoves that they got out of garbage, and made their own barbel for their excercise...

Aside from the goods that are seen on the hallway... each room has their own stocks too. for sure, these goodies will last for atleast 3 months, but of course, none of them is hoping to be there for that long...
they were positive in telling us that they will no longer consume everything, and soon they leave, it will be hand over to other Filipino Organizations to help others as well...

somehow, their voices were heard.
the Philippine government is now in action... and while waiting for the results of the initial investigation, these kababayans are secured...
they dont need to feed themselves by means of picking and selling cans from the garbage, neither they will no longer risk their lives from eating those grown tomatoes in the dump site...
we are keeping our fingers crossed that the resolution from the goverment will be as quick as the action of the OFWs here who gathered help for this people.

this is just step one. not even a solution to the real problem that they are facing now...