Since a visit to the Philippines  in the 80s, I'm committed to the local street children. In addition to the picturesque bays, beaches and indescribably beautiful landscapes, I also saw the misery and poverty among the rural population. Above all, the "children of the street" gave me sleepless nights. To satisfy their hunger, they chew on old cigarette butts or scrounge at the street shank operators for used pans to lick them empty. To sleep, they just lie down in the street ditch. I was shocked at the sight of this and I asked my friends, who are living there, how this misery could be put to an end. The answer was clear: "Not at all," there are far too many children and the little help that I could afford would only be a mere drop in the ocean. True to the motto "One drop is ONE drop", I set to work. The goal was to provide the children with food as quickly as possible. Later, blame education should be provided to ensure that the future of the kids is sustainable.

Many street children have parents, but they can not look after their children properly. Is it, that both have to go to work, or the mothers are hopelessly overwhelmed when they have too many mouths to cram. A house where we could offer rice during the day was quickly found. In the beautifully renovated room (even with a ceiling fan against the heat!) soon, several children seize the opportunity. In addition to the regular food, they could also look picture books, or pass the time playing. After gaining confidence, it was easier for the little ones to learn to accept maths and reading offers. At first we had only two children who came to the "school" every day, but soon there were up to 15 kids, hungry for knowledge. A retired former teacher taught reading, writing and arithmetic to interested girls and boys. In a former monastery in Bustos, which has been used as an orphanage, there are suitable rooms. It soon turned out, however, that the children from the orphanage wanted to go to school. After a long time back and forth with the authority all orphans are allowed now to visit the public school. We finance the school visit for all our orphans. The younger ones are allowed to play in the kindergarten. Some of the older students study at high school or in college in the city. This is an immense effort every day, because there is no public transport. Most children stay with us for about 15 years, often until they find a training center or a secure job. We only give young people their independence when they can look after themselves. (see projects section). With more than 45 protégés, the orphanage is fully occupied.

It may only be a drop in the ocean, but for ONE child it means ONE drop of everything! A worthwhile drop, right?