THE Home for Girls (HFG) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 7 recently marked its 25th year of providing shelter and a nurturing environment to girls who are survivors of violence and exploitation.
The celebration for the HFG’s founding served as the venue for the DSWD 7 to recognize its partner stakeholders by giving them certificates of appreciation.
For their active support for the DSWD 7, the partner stakeholders were honored as they have been helping the HFG put forward its mission—to support the girls while they are healing inside the facility and as they go back to their families and to the society.
Survivors of abuse
As of November 2019, the HFG in Barangay Labangon, Cebu City houses 93 girls who are victims and survivors of different forms of abuse, violence and exploitation.
They undergo holistic restoration and recovery from their varied experiences and trauma with the help of registered social workers and staff in the center.
In her speech as the event’s keynote speaker, Paglaum Training International (PTI) director Jonna P. Eleccion shared how the HFG helped her in many ways in planning and crafting PTI’s services.
“With the technical staff of the Home for Girls, we were able to operationalize a reintegration support program that offers economic empowerment services to girls and women who are reintegrated back to their communities after a period of time in shelters,” Eleccion said.
She also talked about the continued support of PTI in doing its part to help the children and girls in their journey towards freedom from their dire past.
“We partake in the shared dream of contributing to the recovery process of the children that the HFG serves,” Eleccion said.
Inspiring girls
Mary (not her real name), a former HFG resident, shared an inspirational message to the attendees of the event.
She was a victim and survivor of a cyber crime. She was rescued from her school in 2018.
In April 2019, she reintegrated back to the community and is now a regular employee of Data Motivate.
“Treasure your stay here. Be good and always listen to your elders because their advice is for your own good. Their advice would help us achieve our goals,” she said in a mix of Cebuano and English. (S)