I Used To Play When I Was Seven.

"I believe the children are the future. Teach them well and let them lead the way". 

- Whitney Houston, The Greatest Love Of All

We all say that children are the future of our world. They are the one who can change and develop the world to make it better. But how can they be the future when their present are messed up? Children nowadays had no chance to enjoy their childhood because of poverty. I want to share something that I recently watched about children and poverty here in the country

Batang Kalabaw was a documentary shown in GMA 7 by Jay Taruc about children who spent their spare time not by playing around like normal children do but by working part time. The setting was in a very rural area in Agusan Del Sur, more like of a remote sitio in a mountain. It was very muddy and the children are walking pass the mud with the length of their legs. Children climb up the mountain in able to earn a little amount of money. When they reach their handlers they wood share in carrying chunks of wood that need to be brought down the mountain to be sold. Carrying woods that are heavier and longer than you might be hard enough for them but the thing that harden it even further is that they need to carry out down the same road they walked through when they climbed it up. To make it worse is that they need to keep their balance and to keep their chunks of wood clean because if not, the woods that they worked hard to bring down the mountain will be considered reject due to the dirt and mud. The worst thing in what they're doing is they just earn P1.50 per board foot which means that they just earn was less than P10.00. I felt really bad while watching the video, thinking that they do not deserve to be treated that way. They should be enjoying their childhood as much as they could. Childhood is not that long to be wasted so it saddens me thinking that these children didn't even thought of playing around and enjoy their life as kids.

1. To be born. To have a name and nationality.

2. To be free. To have a family who will take care of them.

3. To have a good education.

4. To develop their potentials.

5. To have enough food, shelter, a healthy and active body.

6. To be given the opportunity for play and leisure.

7. To be given protection against abuse, danger and violence brought by war 

and conflict.

8. To live in a peaceful community.

9. To be defended and assisted by the government.

10. To be able to express their own views. 

These are some of Children's Rights here in our country. Based on the documentary, the children's rights violated in Agusan Del Sur are the right to have enough food, shelter and a healthy and active body; to be free and to have a family who will take care of them; and to have their potentials. It was clearly seen that kids in Agusan needed to support their own just to keep them alive. And because I'm part of the latest generation and I guess the closest generation to the newest one, I should be able to understand their needs and what they should have. While some kids play their iPads but still whine about little things, there are kids who doesn't even know how to play or didn't have a chance to play. I used to play when I was seven but looking at these kids, I'm wondering if they even enjoy themselves at seven. We should be the one to share what we had to them. They should not be working for themselves, they should have their family that will support their living. I always say this when I'm asked what to do to be able to change. "You need to start it in the man in the mirror". In order to create a difference, in order to be able to inspire others you need to be a good example. I never believe in alms, if you want to help others, you need to be able to teach them to stand on their own feet. It is important to protect their rights because they are the future. Yes it is a cliche but it is true. Don't you think that as a child, and they see their rights violated, isn't possible that they would violated all other rights because they knew that violating it was okay because kids themselves are okay? It is more likely the golden rule. I know I can't promise anything but I will try my best to help in deteriorating the violation against Children's Rights. TPH

Photos from the net

Source:

Bantay Bata