This is Smokey Mountain, Tondo, Manila

It's a vast trash dump area.

People scavange and scrap the trash.

People live on, and in the trash.

And the children live with them, too.

Even the very young ones, from the infants.

These are the children that are stripped of their opportunities in life along with their clothes.

I wish to

feed them,

clothe them,

and tell them that,

they may not have to beg,

they may not have to steal,

they may love and be loved,

they may trust and trusted,

and there may be hope and opportunity in life for them.

But.., if none of these are possible,

I just want to be with them and be their friends for now.