Philippine Children’s Ministries Network

Bearers of Hope: One Thousand and twenty Nine(1,029) Children Assisted To Date and More…

The implementation of Bearer of Hope Project, the network’s collaborative response to those adversely affected by Ondoy and Pepeng (or Ketsana and Parma), was rolled out in the first week of November. As a network of ministries to children at risk, the main beneficiaries of the response are the children who are considered the most vulnerable and often suffer greatly the brunt of disastrous situations. As of December 3, educational packs to 529 children in Quezon City, Pasig, Taytay and Angono, new set of school uniforms to 400 children in Marikina and support for the supplemental feeding of 100 pre-school age children for 3 months in Pinagbuhatan, Pasig. These children are served by several network members and linked churches. Other members and partners are still identifying children in great need to become beneficiaries of Bearers of Hope, targeting additional 1,500 by the middle of December.

The project has already extended Financial Support to 3 staff workers from the network member-agency and financial assistance to church in Marikina for repair of learning center and church building.

Two trainings have been conducted so far: 1)“Crisis Intervention and Trauma Defusing” by Dr. Jose Sotto of the Asian Theological Seminary Department of Counseling on November 11-13 at Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary with 37 participants;and 2) “Preparing Communities in the Protection of Children in Emergencies” and “Creating Child Friendly Spaces” with Mr. Nonoy Fajardo of UNICEF and Ms. Aimy Gabriel of World Vision International as resource speakers on November 16,17 at Bright Lights Learning Center with 33 participants. The same training will be conducted in the near future for other participants. The aim is to equip more grassroots workers to respond effectively not only in the current situation but in the future as well. Those trained will conduct stress debriefing sessions, organizing community volunteers and activities in child-friendly spaces created in their respective communities using the new knowledge and skills acquired. This means reaching more children and adults, even those who are not direct beneficiaries of specific assistance provided by the project. UNICEF has provided 12 play sets for both pre-school and elementary school age children to enhance the operation of child-friendly spaces that implementing partners created. The group in Bagong Silangan has been approved to get a tent for their child-friendly space.

The other components of the project provide assistance to the families of ministry workers and to Christian groups and churches ministering to children at risk whose homes, facilities, fixtures and equipment were damaged by the flood. Recommendations for assistance to workers and to organizations and churches have started to come in. The project working group members are doing field visits to validate information prior to approval of specific requests. They also monitor implementation and provide technical assistance when needed. The working group members are staff of network member-organizations released once a week on official time by their respective directors to put in some work in the project. These groups are Jigsaw Ministries, Church of Praise, Share An Opportunity, Ang Bahay Parola, KBCF/PHILRADS, Christian Mission Service Philippines, Christian Growth Ministries, Food for the Hungry and World Vision Development Foundation. The International Justice Mission-Manila Office is involved by providing the snacks during the working group meetings usually held twice a month. A new partner, OneHope, is providing teaching materials for children of various age groups. It is a beautiful work of cooperation involving various groups.

In cooperation with UNICEF and the Council for Welfare of Children, the project is participating in the Rapid Registration of Missing, Separated and Unaccompanied Children in the communities where the response is being carried out. There will be distribution of Christmas grocery packs to needy families in selected areas around the 2nd week of December. The churches in Bagong Silangan, Quezon City and in several towns in the province of Rizal are also organizing children’s Christmas parties for 400 children.

The project is reaching needy children and communities not only through a one-time giving of relief goods but with follow-up activities that are intended to truly impact lives. All these are made possible because of the contribution of partner-organizations, churches and friends that responded to the appeal and the all-out participation of members and other linked groups with PCMN.

By Pine Gutierrez

www.bearersofhope.pcmn.org

contact: bearersofhope@pcmn.org