Thursday, October 12, 2006 Foundation launches anti-trafficking of persons project By Syril G. Repe
THE church-affiliated St. Maria Goretti Foundation launched Sunday at the Holy Family Formation Centre in Bacong a project that it expects would prevent women and children in the province from falling victim to trafficking.
The project is called the Step-UP project, an acronym for Stop Trafficking and Exploitation of People through Unlimited Potentials.
Foundation president Monsignor Merlin Logronio said the project aims to prepare children and women who are potential trafficking victims for the job market by training them on information technology skills.
Msgr. Logronio said through Step-UP, community technology learning centers would be put up to community access to technology skills training and open doors to employment.
"We hope that through this project a number from the vulnerable sectors of society...will be equipped for jobs and will be protected from trafficking," he said.
Candidates will be trained on fundamentals in computer, digital media, Internet and worldwide web, web design, word processing, database, and spreadsheets.
The project will give priority to marginalized women and children, especially child domestic workers, househelp, potential victims of trafficking, and working children adept at and interested to be trained.
Students will attend three or four weeks of classes for each curriculum and, after finishing, will receive a certificate of competency from Microsoft.
St. Maria Goretti Foundation Inc. is linking with the Visayan Forum and Microsoft Philippines for the project.
The Foundation will implement the program in partnership with the Diocese of Dumaguete, local government units, and community groups.
Negros Oriental has been identified a trafficking "hotspot" or a major recruitment ground for victims of trafficking.
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