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enChildhope Philippines Foundation, Inc.
The Street Education and Protection Program for the Street Kids in Metro Manila
Childhope Philippines Foundation, Inc. is the pioneer organization in Metro Manila that educates children on the street through its Street Education Program. Childhope has the most comprehensive Street Education Program in Metro Manila since it provides for basic but urgent needs to support and ensure the continuous and holistic learning and development of its street children participants, enrolled either in formal school or in alternative education. These include psychosocial interventions, medical and health services, paralegal assistance and skills training among street children. Sessions on the streets are conducted 5 days a week, Tuesdays to Saturdays, 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM through Childhope’s 16 Street Educators (teachers and social workers).
Childhope also has the widest scope of program areas in terms of geographical reach as it covers 12 areas in 4 cities of Metro Manila, and reaches out to about 500 to 600 street children every year. Since its inception in 1995 up to the present, Childhope has already assisted about 10,500 street children.
The program aims to reach out to 100 street children per area. The children will learn through the alternative education sessions, whose subjects range from child rights and responsibilities, primary health care, substance abuse prevention, and values education. The beneficiaries will be divided into small groups, about 20 children per session, to ensure the street children are focused and guided properly. Assessment will be conducted to track the progress of the children. Steps will also be taken to ensure that street children participate in focused group discussions and counselling. This is critical in taking care of the psycho-social well-being of the street children. Through this phase, we aim to achieve the following results:
Training for street children to become Junior Child Rights Advocates and Junior Health Workers is incorporated in the program. This targets the leadership skills and potentials of our street children beneficiaries. Through this component, street children are able to practice what they learn in the alternative education sessions, and encourage more street children like them to participate in the program. Junior Child Rights Advocates assist street educators and social workers in facilitating the learning sessions. They also join forums and events where they have opportunities to speak up and be active in decision making processes on pressing concerns of street children. Meanwhile, Junior Health Workers assist in administering first-aid and conducting primary health care sessions to their fellow children. Childhope values active child participation as essential to mobilizing services and resources. By taking the roles of leaders in their own simple ways, street children are showing other children that they can take charge of their health, rights, and responsibilities and that no one is too young when it comes to making a significant difference.
• Street children will be able to have a more positive outlook on life; they will be able to protect themselves while on the street, and refrain from engaging in vices, substance abuse, and the like; they will be able to develop positive attitudes and behavior
• Street children will be able to apply the values they learned in the sessions; they will gain knowledge on various realities so they can make better decisions; street children will be able to identify life goals --- they will be motivated to dream and pursue lives away from the hazards of the street
• Street children will be able to have a strong sense of self-worth; they will able to develop their talents and skills, build their self-confidence and self-esteem, and give importance to their roles as youth and citizens of the country.
After finishing all modules of the alternative education sessions, street children beneficiaries will be given opportunities to take the alternative learning system (ALS) classes, go to formal school, or take vocational training courses.
