ABOUT 70 street children enjoyed the activities prepared by the Dilaab Foundation Inc., together with the National Youth Day (NYD) participants in the Street Kids Encounter event at Abtanan sa Kaluoy, a new activity center in the Mabolo church compound, Friday, April 26.
Fr. Melo Diola, Dilaab Foundation Inc. chairman, said that the opening of Abtanan sa Kaluoy will be on the third week of May, but they partially started it because of the NYD.
The children, who are from barangays Mabolo, Luz, Carreta, and Subangdaku, underwent profiling as volunteers interviewed them about their background since some of them do not have birth certificates yet.
The children were given food, and hygiene items like shampoo and soap. Zumba, art and coloring tutorials were also held.
Diola said the main purpose of the program is to eliminate kids loitering in the streets and help them go back to school.
“It is to take the street children off the streets for good but gradually,” said Diola.
Diola said starting next month, they hope to see the children three times a week since there will be arts, humanities, and music tutorials. He will also ensure that the children will have spiritual growth as they will also be taught values formation subjects.
To realize this project, Diola said they are working through Ugnayan ng Barangay at Simbahan (Ubas) which is a project of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
The barangay officials are in charge of gathering the children, while police will teach them good citizenship. The church will take care of their spiritual growth, while business establishments will give donations for its operations.
“We are trying to do God’s work through helping the poor,” said Diola. (JJL)