right under your nose

karthic - a case in need
ya the twelve year old boy who came to us in church school
scrawny, tall, handsome yet 'small' for his age
dad out of a job five years ago bec of inconsistent attendance at work
mum has been working as a cleaning lady in a restaurant for twelve years on daily wage
lately at a food court stall for three months earning 25 rgt a day her most recent position
former home demolished to make way for highway
compensation of 5000 rgt went to purchasing a motorcycle
dad supposed to stand in as babysitter for karthic and 2 year old brother while mum works
but alas this too he cannot accomplish faithfully...
and what is the scenario all too familiar among the urban poor?
he doesnt get karthic going to school--weak in studies n dropping out of school bec of absence
he goes out to drink with pilfered hard earned money from the wife
he gets drunk comes home and gets into fights with his wife who works from dawn to dusk
when he doesnt come home she has to go search for him for fear of harm befalling him!
.............am sure this scenario still unfolds in many a corner in malaysia
we can try to help karthic n the sibling so that they dont get entrapped in the vicious cycle of poverty but there is only so much we can do to alleviate the problem
Getting him back to school, arranging transport to school so that he doesnt miss any more classes....really pray it is not too late for him to catch up...already very weak in basics
helping the mum in provisions or better paying cleaning jobs with shorter working hours??
but how can we help his dad???
the incidences of drunkenness, fights and possibly or potentially physical abuse on the domestic front ... beyond us to monitor or handle!!!!
well there's no miracle wand to make the scenario whole again and instantly
we can only trust God to grant us the wisdom to do whatever is needful for this case right under our noses.....