Melinda J. Irvine

Apple cores have been on my mind these past months since having a seven year old boy stay with me for a time. Apple cores, the burden of gadgets and not blogging.

Three hours ago I was about to donate the lot to the nearest NGO and rid myself of the problem so I could just play with the kids, support the ladies in the livelihood projects and cut apples.

When I began this website last year, it was really about raising funds for the people of the Philippines who had been affected by Typhoon Yolanda. Arriving  here for the first time last year I was so overwhelmed by the poverty and the website, www.lovethepeopleyoumeet.com was borne of that (as well as something I had read from Mother Teresa). So many people had donated and those funds helped rebuild houses, refinance loans, buy food, medicines, clothes, school supplies and pay for school fees. The stories on the site began as a way of reporting back to the donors how their money had been spent as well as attract new sponsors.

Now that I am no longer actively fundraising the big awkward silence has really been about reflection. My primary purpose is truly to love the people I meet. So is spending so much of my time taking/editing/uploading video and photographs the best way of doing that? I’m not so sure.

The people here (especially the kids) are mesmerised by your gadgets and I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time protecting the shiny iPad and Macbook from harm adding to that updating software, keep them charged all the while trying to get decent signal.

To rid myself of the problem, three hours ago I was ready to delete all my websites/social media and donate all the gadgets to the nearest NGO  so I could just play with the kids, support the ladies in the livelihood projects and cut apples.

When kids consider fruit a luxury item and put down the gadgets (voluntarily) to gobble down apples and oranges and then eat the cores and peels you have discarded as scraps gadgets begin to lose their appeal. As does being online.

Currently 5am, haven’t slept at all, might be able to now when I hit publish. Possibly even post some video later when I wake up. Mum I hope that explains why I haven’t blogged in nearly four months.

PS: donations always welcomed by the many families still in need here.