For the past couple of years now, Childhope Asia Philippines (CHAP), through its Mobile Education Van, has been reaching out to as much as 2,500 street children a year in different parts of Metro Manila. As an alternative school for street kids, the MEV aims to motivate street kids to leave the streets and live in shelters or be reunited with their families. It also helps kids make the first step towards getting a proper education via its one-and-a-half hours of teaching sessions.
A continuing project of The Body Shop Philippines, the education program began with a mere five mobile libraries — educational materials mounted on pedicabs — which Body Shop founder Anita Roddick donated to CHAP when she first visited Manila in 1996. In 2005, the first mobile education van was donated by Roddick and was able to reach out to over 1,000 street children in Manila, Pasay and Paranaque. Recently, Roddick fulfilled her promise when The Body Shop Philippines turned over another MEV to CHAP to the delight of its volunteer educators and junior health workers.
Like the first MEV, the van is equipped with learning tools such as chairs and tables, books, musical instruments, drawing and painting materials, puzzles and games, a DVD player and television, and 108 volumes of educational DVDs. Each DVD has four episodes, which translates to 432 lessons covering science, math, English, history, and values education.
"The sessions are highly interactive and participatory. They focus on the rights of the children, laws, drug and sex abuse prevention and basic literacy," says CHAP executive director Teresita Silva. The great thing about these education modules, adds Silva, is that they are fully recognized by the Department of Education. For as long as they pass the modules, the kids’ diplomas will be signed by the DepEd.
A couple of animated films produced by Stairway Foundation Inc. titled A Good Boy and The Daughter aim to educate the street kids about protecting themselves from pedophiles. To date, about 150 children have viewed the films and nine have come forward to tell authorities that they were abused. Says Ysrael Diloy of Stairway Foundation, "Child sexual abuse remains in the closet. These are not shared openly by the kids. We want to tell them that there are safety steps and basic street smarts to prevent sexual abuse. The reality is pedophiles rarely go to jail, which is what we hope to change and end."
Also held in time for the launching was The Body Shop Philippines’ campaign against domestic violence. With the help of CHAP and a pool of volunteer photographers led by Joachim Bondoc, they held a mini-exhibit dubbed Walk of Hope. The black and white photographs depicted children in a variety of moods while a collection of colored drawings with the theme "What Makes You Happy?" done by children aged 6 to 16 was mounted. The drawings gave viewers a glimpse into the harsh life street children live day in and day out.
Elvira Ricarte, a street educator for the last 10 years, knows fully well the extent of the problem in the streets. She has seen kids high on all kinds of drugs such as cocaine, shabu, marijuana, solvent and rugby. She has witnessed how young girls and boys prostituted themselves, at times even with the "help" of their parents. It’s a dark and depressing world out there for educators like Ricarte but she isn’t giving up hope. "As it is, we don’t have much resources but we couldn’t just give up on these kids. They need a door to open for them and show them that there’s life beyond the streets and that it’s possible for them to lead a decent life," she says.
And there are, indeed, success stories. CHAP’s junior health workers, composed of youngsters most of which were former street children themselves, now have a bright future in front of them. Seventeen-year-old Emily Porciuncula and 18-year-old Lota Opiasa are now in college, with the former taking up Computer Technology and the latter, Criminology. As junior health workers, they teach street children how to take care of themselves by discussing issues about HIV and AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, drugs and overall sanitation. They also provide first-aid medication for these children. While educators go on with their lessons for the day, junior health workers will be treating small children with scabies, minor wounds and cuts and other health problems. Sometimes, they’d be confronted with stabbing cases among young boys and would rush victims to hospitals.
"We usually go out into the streets from late afternoon till late at night because that’s when the street children come out. The whole morning they are either asleep or doing odd jobs," says Porciuncula, a former president of junior health workers in Caloocan.
The second MEV, according to CHAP officials, will be stationed in San Roque Cathedral and will reach out to kids in the Caloocan and Quezon City area. "We probably have the largest group of full-time street educators who work five times a week, Tuesdays to Saturdays," says Silva.
All in all, the MEV serves three areas: Lawton and Luneta; Ermita and Malate; and Pasay, specifically the PICC and Baclaran areas. The challenges faced by CHAP, however, include sourcing funds to sustain expenses for gasoline, as well as maintenance costs and salary of driver, among others. Tents are also needed to provide cover for children when it rains or when the sun’s heat becomes unbearable. The continuing training of street educators to prepare them for counseling sessions with the kids is also needed. CHAP personnel are tirelessly looking for donors and sponsors who are willing to share their resources for the children’s sake.
"All we want is to make kids realize that people care and that not all is hopeless in this world," enthuses Silva.