Hello friends, this is Pao. I’m a disabled 18-year-old and victim of sexual abuse from the Philippines, and I’m reaching out again–hopefully for the last time–to ask for your help with the remaining $8,000 my family owes.
It was $10,000 originally, but thanks to a fundraiser a comrade set up for me last year we managed to shave off $2,000. I thought me and my family could take it from there, but recent developments have convinced me otherwise.
Earlier this year, my dad suffered a work-related injury that left one of his eyes seriously impaired and that he still needs to get treatment for. Another one was to his knee, and now he’s unable to work as much as he used to–and he’s 67, turning 68 and working construction so that’s really not saying much to begin with.
My mom’s been a homemaker for as long as I can remember, but she plans to move in with Dad in Japan so she can take care of him while also working towards more financial stability for the family. Before she can do any of that though, he needs to fly here first and sort some legal stuff out (to do with their marriage and her visa), which he can’t do so long as we’re paying 20% interest every month to loan sharks–one of whom wants $2,400 before the end of June.
I try my best to help, but between university, the trauma I have to deal with and my being disabled, it’s really, really hard. I’m doing this fundraiser because I hate seeing my parents saddled with so much and because I’m tired of this constant precarity. I know living in the Third World means we’ll never be completely stable or safe from crisis, but I’d like my family to be able to live–my dad to retire, my mom to work, my kid sister to study, me to organise–without this one burden at least. If that’s something you’d like too, then please consider donating: every little bit helps! Thank you! And bless!
