Going to Jail!

Happy to report that most of the sewing machines and other sewing training tools and equipment have been delivered to the jail. Class begins on Monday!
 The warden reports that 75% of the inmates are incarcerated due to drug peddling. Without job training, they will most likely return to selling drugs when released so they can feed themselves and their family members. We are hoping to break this cycle by equipping the women with sewing skills and assisting them with job opportunities.
Most of these women cannot afford attorneys here and are waiting for hearings (a judge hears their case, and sentences them, not a jury) to declare them innocent or guilty. They can be here 3-4 years before sentencing, some have been waiting for 9 years. Once found guilty, they are often moved to another facility in the Manila area.
Jails in this country provide minimal food, no meds or toiletries. If the inmates and their families are poor, then they have no way to buy soap, shampoo, laundry soap and other luxuries that we take for granted. Only half of the jail population have a bedspace, the rest sleep on cement floors. Only the extremely sick get transported to hospitals, and there is no medical facility at the jail. Occasionally medical teams and missions teams set up medical and dental clinics (Project Life has organized a few of these over the years and also bring food, soap, toothbrushes, etc. when we have funds to do that)and other organizations and politicians have helped in various ways.
Despite these conditions, despite lack of finances to make improvements, the jail personnel continue to do their best to help the inmates. Most of the guards are very kind and caring, They are well educated and well trained and very appreciative of any help they can get! They want to have programs in their jail to train the inmates and give them opportunities for jobs when released.
As for the inmates, their biggest complaint is that they miss family and many are lonely. They are somewhat frustrated that their hearings are often postponed due to judges schedules. The interesting thing is that many of those who attend the weekly bible studies have developed friendships and encourage and pray for each other. They seem to have a joy that many who are free outside the jail never experience!
Here are a couple pictures of the materials and machines in the classroom:

O Canada!

We had two lovely visitors from Canada bless the Project Life Sewing Training Center last week! Wendy and Theresa found out about our ministry through Wendy's daughter (our volunteer, Brittany) and organized people from 4 churches and a few fabric stores to help us! After shipping materials, sewing supplies, etc, they decided to bring the remainder of the donations in person. They visited 12th St, the sewing center and the jail and brought joy and encouragement to many. They met with the trainers at the Center to present the many donated items, then spent some time with us sharing and praying. They also met the warden at the women's jail where Project Life is starting a new sewing training, and toured the facility. We were able to buy two sewing machines for the jail project with some of the funds that they donated!


Theresa and Wendy admiring the Matibayong bags at the Market

at the sewing center



With our trainers

The classroom at the jail

We want to thank Wendy, her family, Theresa and family, and the many other individuals who donated to help us train the poor and unskilled. We are so grateful for your help and thankful to God for connecting us. We had a short, but meaningful time together. Hope to see you again!

O Canada!

This and That!

• Many are asking for more info on who we are training. The backgrounds of the men and women vary from trash scavengers and bargirls (prostitutes) to those with little skill and no jobs or poor fisherman who can't fish much during rainy season (June-October!) Others are highschool graduates with no jobs looking for another opportunity to train and find work. All are poor, all are vulnerable to falling into a life of crime or begging on the streets. Recently we have seen a need to reach out to local bargirls, many of them young women who think they have no other options for employment. Many moved to the city with the promise of being waitresses or dancers in a local bar and hope to support their extended families back home. Most end up forced into prostitution. Our local area is a "human trafficking" or "sex tour "destination. Many men are on tours, traveling to Angeles City and Subic Bay in the Philippines, then fly on to Bangkok and other places where the nightlife and bargirls are plentiful and cheap. We have many pedophiles "vacation" in our area. Many of the bar owners exploiting these girls/women are foreign. In fact recently there was a raid on a bar just a two minute walk from my house! It involved both the US and Philippine authorities. More on that here: http://abcnews.go.com/International/americans-targeted-allegedly-running-underage-prostitution-philippines/story?id=18582802  Our Sewing Training Center is in the middle of this "redlight district" and very accessible to the girls who work in the bars. We are trying to help them help themselves and start new lives!
• We are all going to jail! (haha) The Project Life Sewing Training begins April 15 in the women's jail. The warden says that 75% of the inmates are there because of drug peddling. She told us that most of the women have no job skills and resort to drugs to support their family. We will be training inmates in basic sewing and and also high speed commercial sewing. Classes will be held three afternoons a week. Our hope is that they are able to find employment and turn their lives around. Thanks to all of you who are supporting these projects!
• We were able to sponsor fifteen of our 12th St and Matain youth to attend our local church's Youth Camp last week. For most of them, it was their first experience at a camp and they were so blessed to be there with 80 youth to learn about God and have a fun time doing so! Friendships were strengthened and their spiritual life deepened as they enjoyed the beautiful campsite outside the city.
• The new youth center opens soon... we are patiently waiting for the building to be finished and will let you know when we move in!