One Meal A Day

This is BABY JANE. She's such an angel. An active happy child who loves to dance and tell stories. She comes up to me with those big puppy eyes and rattles off in Tagalog. Often she is asking "Are you leaving tomorrow?"

Beneath her cheerful and extrovered behaviour, it is hard to imagine that Baby Jane often has only 1 meal a day. And that meal is the lunch that she receives in Paaralang Pantao. Our food project will reach its 5th year come 2008. I wonder what goes through the minds of the young recipients after each lunch. Many are too young to express what they really mean. We're going to get each kid to do a survey to give their feedback on the meals. I can't wait for the response. Perhaps some will complain about the vegetables and ask for more fried chicken. :)

Just last week, a fight broke out in school. Pepito, who was not able to finish his fried chicken drumstick, ran over to Arnil and dumped his remaining chicken on Arnil's plate. An angry Arnil jumped out of his seat. Pepito was already back in his seat, 2 chairs away. Arnil yanked the hair of Pepito and dragged the smaller boy back to that fried drumstick. Arnil sat down expecting Pepito to take back his chicken. Perhaps Arnil was embarrased because there were visitors present and they had seen the leftover chicken dumped on his plate. Pepito, also embarrased that he had been too weak to fight back, then rained punches - blow after blow, on a stunned Arnil. The 2 boys were separated quickly and each was given time out to cool down. Arnil continued his lunch and even finished off the remaining of Pepito's half-eaten drumstick. This is a boy who has 8 or 9 siblings at home. Meal times are a rush and even a fight for who gets the bigger share of the meal.

Now back in Singapore I think of Baby Jane and Arnil. I wonder if they have had enough to eat today? If they have gone to bed hungry? The Christmas season is in the air. We're busy getting the home ready for the festive season. Planning our gift list, what to buy when to wrap and so on. The menu for Christmas is already in the works. In NTUC or in Sheng Siong, housewives can be heard complaining. The price of MaLing was once $1.10 and is now $2.50. Food prices have risen over the past few months. Yet in Singapore there is no shortage of food. Food is available 24 hours. An old lady once said, "In Singapore, the poor will never die of hunger."

As Advent approaches, I've decided rethink what food means to me and what the food project means to the kids in Payatas. I've never gone hungry, never known what it's like to have just one meal a day or what it's like to share a small piece of meat with 9 others. This Advent I'd like to have just one meal a day. I started 2 days ago... Today I had cup noodles for lunch and some fries... It's 1130pm... I'm hungry very hungry... But I think: like Easter, Christmas also comes with personal self-sacrifice in the season of Advent.

How do I make Christ present in the world for 2008? I don't know. I also don't know how to bring about justice and peace, freedom and hope in the world. But I know that if I have one meal a day, I will constantly be reminded that the poor exist and that Christ chose to come to the world not as a privileged king but as a poor Asian child, like Baby Jane and Arnil.

If you'd like to join me in this advent "fast", do tag here and let me know how it has been for you :)

Peace
Sherlyn