How about the street children?

[Matt]

http://www.loghomebuilders.org/anemergencyhereinsoutheastasia--involvingyoungchildren.html

For those of you that have been to the Philippines, what do you
all think about Skip Ellsworth's idea of feeding the street
children?

Skip Ellsworth is a well known gentleman who is very sincere.

I have not yet visited the Philippines. But the very thought
of those poor children being abused sickens me.

What do y'all think?

[Nathan]

... in response to How about the street children?, posted by Matt on Feb 27, 2003

  Well, skip might be as sincere as anything, but his
"Save the Children with Burgers!" is about as stupid
a scheme as I have seen. If it were not the total scam that it looks like, it wouls be total stupidity. As anyone who has spent time in the Philiippines knows, there would be many better ways to feed street children than plying them with American fast food. In addition to it's limited nutritional value, it would be far more expensive than
getting a couple of good mamas to prepare traditional syle filipino foods. So take your pick...thief or moron.

my $.02 worth

[Jay]

... in response to How about the street children?, posted by Matt on Feb 27, 2003

[This message has been edited by Jay]

Hi Matt,

Just re-read this post. You say,"Skip Ellsworth is a well known gentleman who is very sincere." Just curious, how do you know this? It says on his page that he took a trip to Asia and didn't return for 5 years. I also get the impression from his picture page, that he's trying to explain to the folk's back home (in the e-mail), why he left by showing pictures of his life there. For many years. Is it possible, that he was once a well known loghome builder, but now he's just another, (like thousands before him) who wasted thier small fortune on booze and babes once they "discovered" the RP? That's just the impression I get of the guy. I'm passingly interested in this guys story, so if you know more about him, please tell. I've never heard of him.

As for these kids being used as prostitutes, I doubt it. The kids that beg at the cars do pretty well. It's the kids who havent had a bath in months or anything but scraps for food to eat, that are forced into that kind of stuff. At least in Manila, anyway. I'm sure it's the same in Cebu. They are easily recognizable. Also, it doesn't happen alot. The cops don't go for child prostitution over there. They are strict on that. Sometimes. When they need money from a bust (somebody pays to get off charges), alot of times they will go after  child prostitution operators. They do exist.

Jay

[Matt]

... in response to How about the street children?, posted by Matt on Feb 27, 2003

[This message has been edited by Matt]

Hi everyone! Thanks for your replies. Hey, I didn't say I
was sending money-lol. I was asking what y'all thought about it.
I respect everyone's opinions here, and I thought we would get some
good thoughts here, which we have.

Have a great day!

PS-I'm don't have any money to send anyway-I'm so poor!

PSS-My story is coming. I first posted here 3 years ago, and Howard
and Don and I have emailed each other before. Ok bye!

[Ray]

... in response to How about the street children?, posted by Matt on Feb 27, 2003

Or it’s not a scam, it sure as hell looks like one! The whole damn thing looks like a bunch of crap to me!

Take another look at those kids in the photos. Do those look like starving, malnourished kids to you? Do you know what starving kids look like??? Most of those kids begging for money look pretty damn healthy to me. I’ve spent enough time over there to know the game those kids play. The author claims that they are “smiling” because they are just trying to make the best of a terrible situation? Horse Crap! Those kids are laughing at the suckers who give them money. And they don’t want food, they want CASH.

WHO says the kids in those photos are prostituting themselves? WHERE is the evidence? This looks like nothing more than a big scam to get some suckers to send cash to someone they don’t even know. Excuse me for being blunt, but if you go down to Western Union and wire money to this guy, you’re a fool!

I clicked on one of the “sad” thumbnail photos and this popped up:

http://www.loghomebuilders.org/MVC-009S.JPG

WHO is this sexy chick with the hair anyway? Maybe THIS is where that money is going? I wouldn’t be too surprised! She may be just a tad on the thin side, but she sure as hell doesn’t look malnourished to me! Mama Mia!!! And she doesn’t seem to be living in poverty on the streets either (LOL!).

I appreciate the fact that you feel sympathy for “hungry” children, but if you send money to this dude, it is going down the toilet. Feeding candy, hamburgers and cokes to these kids is NOT doing them any good! You’re just clogging the little boogers’ arteries. If you really want to help hungry street children in the Philippines, there are already reputable and well-established charitable organizations over there that can efficiently do the job. This idiot wants to treat 50 kids at McDonalds every day for $5,000 a month? Send your $5,000 to a “reputable” charity and they could probably feed a thousand kids for that much money.

And if this guy has any evidence that any “perverts” are using those kids for sex, he should report it to the police because they do take those things very seriously in the Philippines. If he doesn’t trust the police to handle it, he should spend his money on ammunition instead of junk food. You can buy enough bullets with $5,000/month to kill an AWFUL lot of perverts.

It is just possible that this guy is legit and thinks he is doing something good, but if so he is simply ignorant of the situation over there and this is NOT the way to help. Do a little research and give your money to a REAL charity that can do some real good.

Just my $.02,

Ray

[Esiang]

... in response to I think this is a big scam!, posted by Ray on Feb 28, 2003

lol......

        My sister is a social worker in a worldwide charitable organization  called SOS, they feed children, gives them education,they lived in a nice village that a normal filipino family can't afford etc...etc...

       SOS is already nationwide in the Phils. and the founder of it is Dr.Hermann Gmeiner, I wonder about Mr. Ellsworth organization he..he...all I see are smiling children he'd taken pictures of them and that scary hair of Ms.Meriam, so scary.
 
       He says he's a former logbuilders in northern america, wow....how come he needs donations to feed for those poor children ?

       This guy is really really fake....

[yorktr]

... in response to I think this is a big scam!, posted by Ray on Feb 28, 2003

She is obviously the cook who feeds the poor starving children doncherknow...

[Jay]

... in response to I think this is a big scam!, posted by Ray on Feb 28, 2003

[This message has been edited by Jay]

Hi Ray,

Wow I just read all the stuff on this guy on his site. He's quite a character. Who in thier right mind would pay this guy $500 for a seminar on buliding log cabins, plus airfare etc? Then sleep on his floor or a hammock? LMAO! "Students" would be so into the ladies and San Miguel with this guy, they would forget all about the "seminar". I think that's what he's counting on.

As far as feeding these kids cheeseburgers, this guy has been living local for long enough to know better. He really wants $9,000 start up costs for a food center where the kids can eat "fish heads and rice". Plus $2,500 per month to operate. LMAO! It all sounds fine, but this guy seems to me like he had some money at one time, but is now working on ways to earn an income in the Philippines. I doubt he get's many "student's". If you don't have a monthly check or some other form of stable income, you have to get creative to live like he is. Been there, done it. Now he wants to "feed the children". Oh, brother. I say great that this guy has said, "F$ck log cabin's, hello Nipa hut's!", but I wouden't send him a dime. He seem's like he might still have some money, but I'll bet the bank account is running dry.

Jay

[Ray]

... in response to Re: I think this is a big scam!, posted by Jay on Feb 28, 2003

That's exactly what I was thinking Jay.

Some guy looking for a way to support his lifestyle in the Phils by soliciting cash over the internet. He might just be able to get by with a few suckers a month. What's his investment in a scam like this? A few rolls of film and a couple of hours to put together a Web page with instructions on where to wire the money.

Ray

[yorktr]

... in response to Re: Re: I think this is a big scam!, posted by Ray on Mar 1, 2003

n/t

[Jay]

... in response to Re: I think this is a big scam!, posted by Jay on Feb 28, 2003

[This message has been edited by Jay]

....maybe not exactly "been there, done that". No Boat or nipa hut's, I just meant living as a local with no steady income. You have to be very creative, but I respect the guy's that don't scam people and don't beg. This guy sounds like he is begging AND scamming.

Jay

[Dave H]

... in response to Re: I think this is a big scam!, posted by Jay on Feb 28, 2003

Hi Jay,

I think you and Ray are probably right! Most peole are trusting and don't know any better. Got to admit, he sucked me in at first when he talked about the little children doing anything for food. The more I looked at the photos and thought about the story, I realized that is a lot of bull. Buy a jeepney and drive the kiddies to McDonalds 3 times a day. ROFLMAOCUMBMac! The other one was really cool! You pay him $500 and he supervises you building someone elses cabin...one of his customers. I'm going to have to try that one. You pay me $10 and I will teach you how to mow my neighbors lawn (she will pay me $40) while I float in her swimming pool. ))) We could be onto something really big! LOL

Dave H.

[Jay]

... in response to What a Concept! ), posted by Dave H on Mar 1, 2003

Hey Dave,

ROTFLMAO!! Rule #1. Filipino's CANNOT live off McDonalds alone. How long did it take Marife, to burn out on McDonald's? Took Criselda about 3 days! LOL! She must have rice or she will faint. Not to mention, fish, vegetable, and maybe some meat.

"You pay me $10 and I will teach you how to mow my neighbors lawn (she will pay me $40) while I float in her swimming pool. ))) We could be onto something really big! LOL"

I belive that's what he's thinkin'. LMAO!! Well, it takes all kinds! ;-)

Jay

[Ray]

... in response to Re: What a Concept! ), posted by Jay on Mar 1, 2003

Jay,

I think I have to agree that a typical Filipino probably couldn't live too long on a strict McDonald's diet. Rice withdrawal can be as bad as heroin withdrawal (I think).

It would have made a little more sense if this bozo said he would feed them at Jollibee, where you can at least get some ethnic stuff and rice. But I think he used the McDonald's reference solely to suck in people who have never been to the Philippines and therefore wouldn't know any better that his story is full of crap. He's probably targeting the private militia types who live out in the sticks in a log cabin. I thought it was interesting that he wants cash sent via Western Union. A lot of the real Internet scams around the world try to get the suckers to use Western Union to wire money.

Does your wife still get faint when she doesn’t eat rice all day? ROFL! I think my wife is getting tired of rice. Yesterday she cooked a big pot of her famous chicken adobo and then suggested that we eat it with mashed potatoes instead of rice. I almost fell out of my freeking chair! I was laughing so hard because I thought she was joking. She said “don’t knock it until you try it”. I was finally able to convince her to make rice. If I go all day without rice, I get faint too (LOL).

Ray

[Jay]

... in response to Rice, posted by Ray on Mar 1, 2003

Hi Ray,

Yeah, Criselda still gets faint without rice. As for me, I grew up being forced to eat the stuff every night. For dinner it was always this and rice, that and rice. I only eat it when I'm in the Philippines. If I have to. The stuff they get here smells funny to me, anyway. :-)

Jay