|
Tuesday, January 21, 2003
Pagsakmit sa mga bata palayo sa mga kuko sa kadautan
By Leticia Suarez-Orendain
Literally “snatching little children away from the claws of harm” is something that a non-government organization (NGO) has been doing for 21 years.
It reaped a special award for Outstanding Literacy Program at the 2002 National Literacy Conference and Awards held in Calamba, Laguna.
The award was a joint project of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), the Department of Education, the MetroBank Foundation and the Southeast Asian Ministries of Education Organization.
Share A Child Movement, Inc. (Sacmi, which sounds like the Cebuano word sakmit or to snatch away) was a response to the challenge on how to keep young people out of the streets.
The NGO, which is accredited with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, is limited to the city for better monitoring.
Atty. Esperanza G. Valenzona, is the president and daughter Atty. Eufrocina “Nina” G. Valenzona, executive director.
The seed. In the 1980’s when Atty. Esperanza was the president of the Federacion International de Abogadas (Fida), she had a project among young offenders in jail.
She used the Boy Scouting Training and Value Formation. The University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) and the Asia Foundation (it did the funding in the past) helped her.
Then Police Constabulary (PC) general Alfredo Olano noted: “Your program is very good, but what are you doing about children who are not in jail? What are you doing so that they will not land in jail?”
She replied, “What do you think is the answer to that question? Gen. Olanao answered that education is the key. So we formed a group in 1982. Initially, Olano was the chairman of the board. I was the president.”
Before its Securities and Exchange Commission registration in 1987, Atty. Esperanza and Olano searched for beneficiaries at random. There was no system yet, thus 50 percent of the children failed but now the children are interviewed by guidance councilors and there are guidelines.
Helping in the search for other children are the scholars themselves. This is good because they know which neighbor or fellow street child is really interested. Interest is one of the requirements.
Scholars must also be from the poorest of the poor, must be interested, healthy; and must have good grades (maintain grades above 80).
Atty. Nina said that education has been the most helpful instrument of change.
Formal education. There are more than 500 scholars in the education assistance for indigent or marginalized children (below 15) or young people (below 18 but over 15).
Other educational concerns are non-formal mobile school (Balay Bata Centers or BBC) and Paglaum, for children in conflict with law. More of these later.
The formal education program has 100 pre-schoolers and 76 in elementary grades; 299 in high school and 34 in college and vocational schools. Last April 124 graduated from elementary grades and high school.
The free feeding program aspect of the program anticipates the problem of absentism due to weakness or illness as a result of poor nutrition.
Every child is given 300 grams of rice per school day to assure that they are not hungry in going to school. Pre-schoolers receive four to five kilos per month, depending on number of weeks attended.
A supporter is Dunkin Donuts, which donates day-old pastries twice a week. It is still safe to eat.
“We repack it and distribute it to the BBC and for children who come over to use our computers,” Atty. Nina said.
Another supporter is a prominent family that has a multi-million business. They donate milk for the children in the BBC.
A social worker visits the scholars and the family to know them better. The program has reaped good fruits.
Atty. Esperanza said, “One student we helped since Grade 6 is Godfery Licayan. He was also a magna cum laude when he graduated from the University of San Jose-Recoletos and was eighth in the board examinations for Mechanical Engineers.”
She added that they also had three valedictorians, three salutatorians, and with scores capping honorable mention. Last year, two scholars represented them in the National Anti-Poverty Commission.
Sacmi scholars were acknowledged as among the “10 Outstanding Cebuano Youth Leaders,” recognized by the Cebu City Youth Development Commission, for two consecutive years. First was Glenda Agnes and then Jeffrey Vazquez. He also represented the country in the Asia-Pacific Young People’s Forum in Bangkok.
Former scholars have formed the Sacmi Alumni Association to keep in touch with their roots.
Though they have free education, scholars are urged to send a sibling to school, and to support their parents in their old age.
One former scholar who is now working in a brewery company only sent a sibling to school, but built a house for the family.
Livelihood. The program offers access to credit facilities using the micro finance concept, a method promoted by the Urban Program for Livelihood, Finance and Training (Uplift).
The members are called partners to emphasize their involvement. Areas covered are Sambag 1 and 2, Labangon, Mambaling, Tisa, Calamba, Basak San Nicolas and Pahina Central.
Membership can be big or small: Labangon has 296 families (with 225 active partners or a.p.); and Basak San Nicolas, 69 (69 a.p.).
So far 961 families have been assisted through industrial enterprises (e.g. stuffed toys, ice cream manufacturing); commercial enterprises (e.g. sari-sari store, vending fish, or fruits, or slippers); and public services (e.g. beauty shop, trisikad, transportation repair).
Each branch has “office” staff. “Workers come from the community. There is no need for them to be college graduates. What is needed is their commitment. There is one branch manager and three collector/motivators,” Atty. Nina said.
The repayment ratio is good thanks to this commitment plus the orientations, workshops, home visits, good recording, and pulong-pulong.
They have a two year-program that provides partners with capital, with saving component so that if they get out of the program they do not go to loan sharks. It has low interest, and some partners now have P20,000 in savings. To-date, the accumulated partners savings is P480,160.12.
The rest of Sacmi’s programs are child rights advocacy, and library (where scholars can learn computer operation).
(January 21, 2003 issue)
Want Sun.Star news on your mobile phone? Click here. |
|
[ return
to top ]
[ home
]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
