"A Paradise for the Kids"
Every week in our updates we will give you a little history of one of the children at the home. This weeks child is Jomarri Lorenzo.
Jomarri was born on June 4, 2000. His parents were never married but were live-in partners which produced three children. Jomarri was the second of the three children.
Jomarri's family never stayed in one place very long. Sometimes they would stay with Jomarri's grandparents on his mothers side and sometimes with relatives of his father. Sometimes they would just stay with friends of his parents.
After having three children Jomarri's parents separated and his mother soon began living with another man. Together with his mother and siblings he lived with this new man.
When Jomarri's mother became pregnant she went to visit her mother taking Jomarri and his siblings with her. When lunch time came she told her mother she would just go to the store to buy some lunch. The grandmother, Jomarri and his siblings waited for months but she never returned.
Jomarri's grandparents were very poor. The grandmother would sell cigarettes on the side of the street to passersby and the grandfather drove a passenger tricycle to make a living. Both grandparents barely made $6 a day. The grandparents also had two children of their own whom they were still trying to feed and send to school.
After several months the grandmother realized her daughter had left the children with her for good knowing that she had no means to feed the kids much less send them to school. She decided to bring them to the Department of Social Welfare.
The DSWD contacted a Christian orphanage that agreed to take in the children. The Christian orphanage who was founded and directed by a dear missionary friend of ours called us and asked if we would take in Jomarri and his other two siblings. We received the three with open arms.
Jomarri was immediately placed in school and is doing very well.
Personal Note: I can tell you that most of the people in the Philippines are very poor. I've seen men sitting on the side walks in the city repairing umbrellas for a few pesos (45 pesos = $1) Umbrellas are too expensive to be thrown away so a lot of people get them repaired.
I remember Jomarri but didn't have an opportunity to get to know him. The little kids are like ants there are so many of them.
