Former homeless boy gives heartwrenching sharing

Jan 23, 2015

MANILA: A former homeless boy, 14-year-old Jun Chura, gave his sharing during a youth meeting on the campus of Manila’s Santo Tomas University Jan. 18.

Jun Chura, a formerly homeless Filipino child. Jun was one of three young people to personally address the Holy Father at a meeting with Filipino youth on the sports field of the University of Santo Tomas on Jan. 18.

Not long ago, Jun left his family, as they could no longer send him to school, and took to the streets.

“I was feeding myself with what (I) can find in the garbage,” he said. “I did not know where to go and I was sleeping on the sidewalk…looking for a piece of carton to make a mat.”

Besides having to fend for himself, Jun witnessed things on the street no child is prepared to see.

“…terrible things happened to my companions in the street: I saw that they were taught how to steal, to kill also, and they have no respect anymore for the adults,” he said. “I saw also some children who were taught how to use drugs…”

It was hard to know when to accept help from those who offered it, Jun said. Adults would often approach children in the street, purporting to offer food or shelter, but would the use the children for unpaid labor or sexual abuse.

That’s why, when Jun was first approached by the Tulay ng Kabataan Foundation, he declined. He wasn’t sure he could trust that the group was actually there to help him.

Jun now accepts help from the Tulay ng Kabataan Foundation. They are helping him continue his education, and one day he hopes to work with the Foundation to help his family and other street children like himself.

Glyzelle too has been helped by the foundation. --CNA/EWTN