MANILA, THE PHILIPPINES
Manila, with more than 16 million people in the metropolitan area, is the most densely populated city in the world. About one-third of Manila area residents live in slums, and the gap between the rich and the poor is vast. In the Philippines, the elite 20% hold 52% of all wealth, while the bottom 40% of the population subsist on only 14% the nation's resources. Despite frequent evictions and land clearances, squatter communities spring up along riverbanks, under bridges, or on top of garbage dumps.
The Manila team has planted a church and is now developing indigenous leadership to take it over, organizing the community, providing marriage and family counseling, and reaching out to youth. In addition, Manila hosts many of Servant Partners’ pre-field training events and internships, and the team leader teaches at Asian Theological Seminary.
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