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I read about Madonna Decena, the Filipina who wowed the judges of Britain's Got Talent, and brought the crowd to its feet. Like many OFWs, she had to leave the country to work abroad so that she could give her two kids a better life. As she sang Whitney's "I Will Always Love You," the female judge couldn't hold back tears as she imagined that the contestant was "singing to her babies," the children Madonna hadn't seen in six months.

I looked for the video on YouTube and found it heartwarming that so many people in the audience were moved by her story and her voice. But scroll down a bit and you'll find some ignorant, nasty comments from a one person in particular. This person called Madonna a lot of disparaging names, including a very rude word that sounds like "bore." He/she likewise lambasted Madonna for abandoning her two children to pursue her ambition, something his/her mom would never have done. The thing is, this person's mom never had to. For Madonna, it wasn't about ambition; it was about giving her kids a brighter future.  

I was angered by the comments, but later on, I started to feel pity. I felt sorry for this person for his/her ignorance, for living in a bubble so detached from reality. We forget that there are people in the world who don't understand, who have no idea why it's necessary for our countrymen to work overseas, who live privileged lives and are completely unaware of what others have to go through to put food on the table.  

I remember a friend was telling me about an international youth camp, where kids from all these different countries come together to learn about each other's culture. One activity had the kids grouped per country, and each group had to report on what they thought was the biggest problem their country had to face. Kids from the Philippines, India, and other developing countries cited such things as poverty and corruption as major issues. And then you had kids from developed countries saying, "Our country’s biggest problem is...smoking." It's really an eye-opener for all these kids to see how other people live, and the realities that their counterparts a continent away have to face.

If only there were such a camp for grown-ups.