Swimming With the Busses

When I was a child some 40 years ago, most of us played ball in the street, floated boats in the gutters and even chewed bubble gum we found on the sidewalk. Well ... maybe only I chewed sidewalk gum but the point is we didn't fuss so much about germs, child predators or even street safety.

Today it's dangerous to be a child. Poverty and unemployment trickle down to the most vulnerable of us - our children - and the unthinkable has now become more commonplace than many of us realize. Lack of food, clothing, medicine has been joined by child trafficking in children as young as five years old. Information is available here.

A couple weeks ago, our managing partner, Tammy Von Horn, spent a week in the Philippines meeting our seamstresses and their families. It was a joy-filled time as they welcomed Tammy into their homes, exchanged gifts and got to know each other better. One evening as they were driving to the rural home of one of the seamstresses, a monsoon rain came pouring down, flooding the street with 3 feet of water in what seemed like an instant. As cars and busses cautiously made their way across the flooded streets, Tammy was amazed to see chilren swimming right alongside the busses! Blinking her eyes a few times to see if this was for real, she recalled it was like being in another world - because it is.

What's no different between our worlds, however, is our desire to see our children thrive, have opportunities, receive an education and have hope for the future. Today we have to fight harder for what used to seem more assured but it's a fight worth fighting for. Please visit Pockets of Dreams and consider making a purchase that will change the life of a child. Not only are the garments and purses beautifully sewn but they carry the ability to change the world - one child at a time.