Help for the Street-children in Manila
Living conditions of the street-children
It is estimated that there are about 25.000 to 75.000 Straßenkinder in Manila, of which
- upto 75 % are children ON the street; those children spent most part of their day on the streets, they do not live there, normally they have a home to go to in the evenings, some of them do go to school.
- 25% - 30% are children OFF the street; those children call the streets their home, they had fled their homes for various reasons (parents had beaten them up; marital problems between their parents; no support from parents regarding food, cloths, and other normal parental cares); they form their own "families" with other children with similar experience.
- 5% - 10% are children that have been competely abandoned; they have no families and are completely depending on their own
two-third of the street-children are boys
Dangers for the Street-children
- All types of drugs: glue sniffing as an entry-drug, then codein containing cough syrup, marijuana and shabu (crystal meth). Tracking of drug abuse in the Philippines is tough and remorseless and there is hardly any program for rehabilitation by the Government. The battle against drug abuse in the Philippines is largely focussed on punishment for deterrence, rather than rehabilitation.
- Health-problems:
street-children are generally under- and mal-nourished and have little immunity against any viruses, infections, and sicknesses
- Child prostitution
- HIV/AIDS
What are we doing to help those Street-children
With the help of our partners in
ACAP street-children are identified und given information about their opportunities and help by
ACAP
and are invited to the
ACAP-center. In the meantime ACAP
has become known to street-children, so that some have already come to ACAP
on their own initiative.
Since most of the children very rarely are visiting schools, the children who entrust themselves to ACAP, they get registered in local schools, their school-attendance is monitored, and through special training they will be helped to reach the age-appropriate school-knowledge level.
First and foremost task of ACAP is to instill a self-confidence into the children.
It was found that a good way to achieve that, is to adress existing talents that lie dormant within each child. Philippines is know for the artistic talent of her populace . The founder of ACAP is an artistic painter herself and focusses on harnessing such talent she finds in the children. They are also exposed to making handicrafts, possibly for sale.
Through a special donation of some of our members, ACAP was able to engange the support of a music teacher, which will teach to play instruments and to develop a music group or chorus that could perform at samll local social festivities
At the same time the children will be motivated towards a respectful inter-action amongst themselves and tream-work and a concern towards the needs and character of their peers.
At the end of each day at ACAP, each child is provided with nutritionally balanced food package.
In the meantime ACAP takes now car of more than 100 Children in the following levels:
Nursery - 1
Kindergarden - 7
School levels 1-6 - 52
Middle levels - 30
High School levels- 2
College - 2
The main objective of our work is the children of
A to
B bring to
