I landed in Manila on January 1, 2005; I saw many familiar faces in & around the Ermita/Malate District - especially Gina, Rosa & Edison who sleep on the street, or don't get enough food to eat dispite my buying them random meals & taking them to the local 7-11 for bottled water & fresh milk - ironically, I never see them sad or complaining - they always greet me with huge smiles & hugs.

* If anyone would like to help me help these kids (I see them more & more during the year now & I know of at least a dozen children on this street, that could use some food, clean clothes, basic medicines, child's slippers (sandals), maybe a sleeping mat, etc. please visit: http://www.projectrice.org or email me at: pjhitnrun@yahoo.com

* UPDATE: March 2006 - I just returned home from my latest trip (Nov/Dec. 2005 thru March 2006) to Manila & Cebu, where a small group of very special friends of mine donated a little money when they saw Rosa & Edison's photos here in this Gallery - I called it my little "Project RICE", & used all of that money to buy these poor families rice, food, medicines & tons of children's clothing; please visit my new Gallery to see the complete story:

http://www.pbase.com/pauljames/project_rice

* June, 2006: the ProjectRice.Org website is now up & running, where I have the opportunity to write a bit more about my personal thoughts on these children, to share more of my images of them from 2003 to present day in the hopes of raising awareness of their plight, and most importantly to be able to seek more support for these specific children & their Families, as my own limited means are simply not enough to continue to aid them on the level I reached in Nov. 2005 through March 2006 through the generosity of a few special friends of pBase.com & ProjectRice.

http://www.projectrice.org