I am here today with my two friends to get pictures for our ID, because we are trying to create the ‘Center of Influence’ and we are working on the papers and documents. We need IDs to open accounts for the centre.
While the spiritual life will be a part and partial of our program, we’re trying to create a centre of influence where we can meet the physical, social and emotional needs as well. We are now looking for a piece of land in Boroko so that we can connect with the government and stakeholders and the whole community to come on board for us to work together.
‘Center of Influence’ will service homeless people all around the municipal city. It will be a place where I hope to provide a safe haven for the homeless regardless of their age, gender and originality. One thing we have started is free health checks which a medical doctor has come forward to give his service for free. I also want to organize cleaning services to occupy these special people. My ministry group share Jesus with them so they can feel that they are special. So they can change their lives for the better.
I supported my passion to serve the homeless poor by using my blessing from what I got when I resigned from my work at the government printer where I worked as a marketing officer for government printing for the last 19 years. I call it my blessing and not pay because it is God who blesses me, not my own. For the last three years I’ve been using it to do this work. I have three children, one is 26, the other is 20 and a third is 18. They are all boys. And they all know that mum is working on the streets.
A lot of challenges, some of those are the pick pocket children we are working with, and every day we are talking with drug people, marijuana, boys and girls smoking, it’s about being part of them.
My friends are the ones that live around Boroko who are homeless or almost homeless. Among them we are girls and women who are into prostitution, we have drug kids, street kids, we have families who are rejected and who are on the street. I hang around with them, spend time with them, and share food with them.
During the time of COVID I went to the street to tell them about Jesus. When people were afraid to go out, there was no bus service, no taxi service, no market, no shop, all were closed, this is when I went to visit them and I came in connection with them and up until now. I visit them on the street of Boroko, at the back of police station or wherever they are they sleep. I sit with the children at night where they sell their betelnut, I go visit them and even tried sleeping on the street just to have a feel of what it is like. I also have friends who work with me under a ministry I started which is registered as ‘Book Link Adventist Literature Ministry’. So far churches like Adventist, Catholics, and Salvation Army help in feeding and clothing. During the COVID-19 lockdown, NCD also assisted with food. It’s heartbreaking when some children don’t even know who they are. They might know but because they are born on the street and in a few cases their parents got separated so those that are in the homeless family become their parents.
Nerolyn Silas, originally from Rei village, Lou Island, Manus but now lives in Boroko, NCD.