1395 FIN Tuloy bears fruits of its message
austraLasia 1395

'Help you receive, help you give', and other messages: Tuloy community bears fruits of its own motto

MANILA: 18th January 2006 --  Tuloy sa Don Bosco is a very special place, for those who have been fortunate enough to visit it, and for those who haven't, then it has to be something like this which can give you an insight or two.  It is a work for street children.  We have a number of these around the region, and they are all very different, run by very different teams in very different circumstances.  Perhaps they share one thing - the need to survive financially means they take the direction of being 'Foundations' which can attract funds, support from business, government, private interests.
    Tuloy, with Fr Rocky Marciano and his team of Salesians and others, other religious and lay people at the helm, has as a motto in Tagalog, 'Tulong sa iyo, Ituloy mo' which means 'you receive help, you give help'.  Tuloy has helped hundreds of youngsters make their way in life.  Recently a boy who 'grew up' at Tuloy, studied there, lived there and found a job from there, came back to offer a thousand pesos per month from the salary he earns from the largest automotive company in the country.  That's around 20 US dollars, no small amount in the Philippines economy.  The motto has borne fruit.
    Fr Andy Wong, who prior to being Provincial in the Philippines North Province spent a term in that role in Indonesia-East Timor, recently visited Tuloy and offered the boys there a simple message from his own experienced, especially during the difficult times in East Timor.  He gave them a three point message to reflect on: 1. There is no solution to violence.  In his view, in-fighting ceased in East Timor when people realised they didn't want to fight each other anymore.  2. Strength of faith, something he learned from Bishop Belo. When people want peace, they should have faith and hope in God whatever trials they may experience. 3. Personal responsibility is the most important thing of all.  Our future, our family's future, the country's future, said Fr Wong to the boys, is our responsibility, one we cannot escape from.

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