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For the sake of the children
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By Johanna M. Sampan and Charmine Javier
Photo by Sarah Encabo
No doubt that she is a woman of substance. Socorro Arevalo, program director of A Home for the Angels Child Caring Foundation, continues to dedicate her life in the field of sustainable child development.
Former Manila Mayor and now Environment Secretary Lito Atienza and his wife Ma. Evelina established A Home for the Angels Child Caring Foundation Inc. 12 years ago. The foundation helps abandoned babies and provides them with shelter and care. Up to date, 245 babies have already been rescued and given guidance by foundation volunteers. Arevalo is now in charge of carrying out the foundation’s goals and target programs.
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One notable concept is the “Learn and Play House program” which was introduced in late 2003, specifically designed to cater to out-of-school children below six years old. This program provides educational activities aside from focusing on health care. The module also includes training the mothers of these children in the fields of teaching, guidance and play.
“We brainstormed about this for a long time. With the help of an expert from Unicef, a doctor who is also a child-expert, we decided to focus on kids from zero to six years old. We believe these are critical years for a child because what they absorb during this phase will serve as a foundation for them when they grow up. Many of these kids who are not guided properly during this phase won’t even complete elementary or high school,” Arevalo explains.
Arevalo adds, “It really worried us when we found out that in 2004, there are 117,000 children belonging to this age bracket but only around 17,000 were registered as beneficiaries in day care centers in Manila. This is based from the records of the Manila Department of Social Welfare.”
Mother knows best
As a mother, Arevalo knows that early childhood experiences dictate what they will become in the future. The biggest influence comes from the parents and how they prepare their kids during their growing years. She initially chose to train 10 mothers who signed up for the “learn and play house program” and called them Mother-Teacher Volunteers (MTVs). She believes that a good mother can be trained to be a good teacher. That number grew and after a short time, she was starting to train more mothers from Baseco, Katuparan, Smokey Mountain and San Andres Bukid.
In this program, Arevalo encourages mothers to teach not just their kids but also their playmates. “If you’re educating your kids to be good but their playmates are cursing and saying bad words, surely your kids will pick up the negative things, too.”
Mothers can be utilized to form a great support system in the community. “I remember that I had one particular mother who was training for the program. After a week, she was killed. People dissuaded me and told me not to come to Baseco because life there is not even considered sacred. That didn’t stop me from continuing my mission, instead I was more encouraged because I know that if a place is dangerous, then the people there, especially the kids, need more help,” she rationalizes.
Basic program inclusions
The first day of the program is a full day orientation where they teach the volunteers the rights of the children and parenting skills. After the first day of training, they will be evaluated and assessed if they can sustain their interest and if they are willing to attend the monthly seminars.
The program also includes modules on understanding oneself, understanding one’s belief system, understanding one’s past and what one can do for the community.
It also focuses on teaching good manners and right conduct, cleanliness as well as care for health, work and studies. Moreover, a lot of sessions on music, story-telling, poetry-reading and games are also included.
“We recognized their limitations, and we understand the implications of poverty. We can’t hold the training sessions everyday because most of the time, these mothers cannot even afford the transportation money to go the training center,” Arevalo intones.
“Meeting with other mothers helps them to learn from each other.” Believing that mothers can be creative and innovative on their own, Arevalo gives these volunteers the liberty to experiment on what they know and how to use their personal experiences, after imparting to them the thrust of the program.
Arevalo is glad that the program’s approach is very innovative, experiential and “out of the box.” Citing an example from a book is a question, “Saan ka natutulog?” and has multiple choices of a) kama b) upuan c) mesa. For a child who is sleeping on a carton or on a cold pavement, the answer is obviously none of the above. But they can’t answer it directly because of the multiple choices. Not being able to answer a question like that is not a true reflection of their intelligence.
A way to bridge the gap, Arevalo reaches out to some families who happen to have DVD players inside their houses. The program released educational DVDs that feature children songs, drawing activities as well as educational materials that may sustain a child’s growth and progress. “As a children being ‘culture-bounded,’” says Arevalo, the program aims to intervene into a common hobby of such community, which is “videoke.” She continues, “Since children would have so much interest in using their family’s DVD player to sing popular songs, so why not try singing educational songs and learn about family values instead.” Of course, Arevalo is aware that it takes a lot of convincing to make the first big step.
Positive results
The children who underwent “learn and play day care program” reportedly did well and in their pre-school and grade school classes. They were also assessed to be more attentive in school and less absent from classes. They also tend to become more confident, patient and respectful.
Also, early detection of children with disabilities and development delays were identified and referred to proper authorities and medical professionals. This fostered the social inclusion of children who avoided schools because of perceived discriminatory practices.
The proper training also positively transformed the lives of the mothers. They now shy away from their old habits as they become more mature physically, emotionally and intellectually by joining the volunteer program. It has also proven to be contagious as a lot of mothers are encouraged to switch from being plain housewives to honorable mother-teacher volunteers.
There was even a time when the “learn and play day care program” had hundred day care stations. Sadly though, some of the centers were washed out due to typhoons and burned down due to fire. The program has spread its wings and is now being implemented in other key cities like Davao and Iloilo.
Still a long way to go
The city of Manila and Unicef have both recognized the program. Institutionalizing it is one of Arevalo’s goals but due to political change, some people are skeptical in continuing the program. “No matter how difficult, I will still continue the program,” Arevalo proudly states. This ongoing program for mothers and their children will go a long way if properly supported and sustained. Arevalo adds that there are many others, who despite of not being able to finish school, can be trained to become effective volunteers.
Arevalo‘s involvement in the program stems out from such a strong passion to affect people and to effect change. Her vision for this is to grow and be adopted by each house in the country. Believing that if every home in the country can be transformed into a ‘learn and play household,’ the future will look brighter for the children. Also, children will love to stay in their own homes more often because they find enjoyment, peace, care and love from their family.
“There are a lot of people who care and that’s a sign that there’s hope for the families. Poverty is never a hindrance to study and becoming successful. I want to communicate to the mothers and their kids that poverty can be solved if they will only focus and study,” Arevalo stresses her point once more.
Everything starts small, they say. For Arevalo, she knows that she has planted to seeds for change. For the many mothers from indigent families who have volunteered and trained for the program, the changes have become evident in their own homes and in their communities.
source::
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