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Sisters caring for slum-dwellers

The Aid to the Church in Need highlights the work of the Sisters of Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara in Bagong Barrio, Cloocan City in the Philippines.
Sisters caring for slum-dwellers
Young girls cared for in the "Mercy Home" by the Sisters of Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara, image from the ACN report
Published: August 31, 2011 09:34 AM GMT
Updated: August 31, 2011 09:34 AM GMT

The slum quarters of the immense metropolis of Manila are notorious. Those growing up here have scarcely any chance of ever escaping the extreme poverty they live in. (Aid to the Church in Need) The people live here crowded close together in tiny makeshift tin huts or wooden shacks. The streets are open sewers, with rats and insects spreading all kinds of infectious diseases. The children are mostly undernourished, and many families are broken and dysfunctional. ... Since 2004 the Sisters of the congregation of the Handmaids of the Lord and of the Virgin of Matara in the Bagong quarter, one of the slum areas, have been caring for the poorest of the poor, tending the sick, feeding the hungry and neglected children and striving to bring hope to the people. But above all they are concerned for the girls, for they are among the most vulnerable and frequently fall victim to sexual abuse and violence. Many slide into prostitution. ... (The) sisters want to be able to take in still more children, and already there are 10 girls waiting to find a home with them. But there is simply not enough space, and so the sisters have decided to purchase a house so that they can provide a home for more children. As finances are limited the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has promised them a grant. FULL STORYPhilippines: A house for religious sisters caring for girls from the slums (Aid to the Church in Need)

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