CHILDHOOD FOR CHILDREN HOME FOR GIRLS 
PROJECT INTRODUCTORY REPORT
Project
Name and Number: CHILDHOOD FOR CHILDREN HOME FOR GIRLS
Kind of project: Temporary Shelter for Sexually,
Physically, and Commercially Sexually Exploited children
Year since the Project has been in Operation: 1996
Address of the project: Upper Kalaklan, Olongapo City
2200
Contact details: Alex Corpus - Hermoso, Programme
Director and Fr. Shay Cullen, mssc, Executive Director
E-mail:
preda@info.com.ph,
predair@info.com.ph,
predalex@info.com.ph,
Websites:
http://www.preda.org,
http://www.preda.net
Phone: (63) 47 223 9629-30
Fax: (63) 47 223 9628 and 222 5573
Mobile: +63 917 532 4453 or +63 906 217 8841
1. Vision
of the project
The aim of the project is to provide temporary shelter and
residential care to female ages 7-18 y/o, survivors of sexual
and physical abuse. Also, the project caters to prostituted
children rescued from the streets, brothels, and bars.
Furthermore, the project developed was client centered and the
recovery process was emphasized and directed towards
psychological healing. It also stressed the inherent spiritual
value of the individual. The goal of the care programme is to
restore the child's self-esteem and personal worth, rebuilding
the confidence in themselves, after the traumatic experience
of abuse. Aside from residential care, the center also had a
programme for preventive education, legal assistance,
tutorial, access to formal education and interventions with
the parents of the residents. Ideally, the children admitted
in the center must/should graduate from the programme when
reached the maximum of length of stay of one year and six (6)
months. However, based on experiences some children could not
be reintegrated back to their families due to the following
reasons: 1. Family is still unsupportive, 2. Perpetrator is
still at large and/or legal case not yet filed and 3. Family
is incapable in providing the needs of the child. Upon the
reintegration of the child, she's qualified to the After-care
services which will be depending on the recommendation of the
social worker. The After-care services include the educational
assistance, legal assistance and emergency medical assistance.
Further monitoring and follow-up is conducted to the child and
family to re-assure the welfare of the child.
2. Project
Environment and context
The Philippines belongs to the category of countries with
'medium' human development. Using the criteria life
expectancy, educational attainment, and real incomes, the
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) ranks the country
70th in the global index for human development, out of 162
countries monitored in 2001. It is seven ranks higher from the
previous year but a survey by the Ibon Foundation
(Philippine-based research institution) in 2002 indicates a
rising discontentment among Filipinos. Twenty percent of those
surveyed expressed dissatisfaction over the way the economy is
run by the Arroyo administration who took over the government
of ousted Pres. Joseph Estrada in the first quarter of 2001.
There is wide disparity between the figures of child abuse cases gathered from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and that of the Philippine National Police (PNP). According to 2002 figures from the DSWD, there was a total of 997 child abuse cases in Region III, composing seven provinces and 10 cities. Sexual abuse registered the highest number with 311 cases, followed by children in conflict with the law (268 cases), neglected children (128 cases), and physical abuse (107 cases). The PNP listed 472 cases of crimes against children.
Note that sexual abuse and sexual exploitation are two distinct categories under which fall different classifications. Classified under sexual abuse are: incest, rape, acts of lasciviousness, and others (seduction, attempted rape, abduction). Pornography, paedophilia and prostitution falls under sexual exploitation. Rape registered the highest number with 168 even surpassing the total number of the other cases.
The top four provinces with the highest number of child abuse cases are: Bataan (129 cases), Bulacan (126 cases), Tarlac (125 cases) and Zambales (116 cases). Of all the cities, Olongapo ranks number 1 with 87 cases, mainly children in conflict with the law (35 cases), neglected (28 cases) and sexual abuse (9 cases). Way behind in second place is Tarlac City (62 cases) and Cabanatuan City in third (33 cases). Ironically, Olongapo City won for the second time the Most Child Friendly City Award given by the Council for the Welfare of Children in coordination with the DSWD and RSCWC.
Based on PNP figures of 2002, the top four provinces with the highest number of crimes against children are: Bulacan (90 cases), Bataan (67 cases), Pampanga (63 cases) and Nueva Ecija (59 cases). Olongapo City registered 37 cases. A significant number of the perpetrators are under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
There are more female victims than male, 531 and 466 respectively. While there are 309 female victims of sexual abuse, there are only two male victims. On the other hand, there are 254 males in conflict with the law compared to only 14 females. It appears that females are more vulnerable to sexual abuse while males are more likely to be in conflict with the law.
Parents are the most likely abuser (169), followed by neighbors (101) and stepparents(33), confirming that perpetrators are most likely known or close to the victim.
2,600 Filipinos leave the country everyday to work abroad. This year alone, about 638,000 have left the country as of September 2002. The government is targeting to deploy 1 million Filipinos overseas annually. (Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) i Magazine, 2001). Of the 8 to 11 million overseas Filipino workers presently employed around the world, 70% are women. The majority work as domestic helpers, while others are entertainers or nurses. Many find themselves in backbreaking conditions, according to Maita Santiago of Migrante-International. They face racism and discrimination, many disappear or return home either mentally unstable, in overwhelming debt or in coffins. Last year alone (2002) over 400 Filipino overseas workers died.
3. Target group
PREDA as an
Organization:
The PREDA (People's Recovery, Empowerment, and Development
Assistance) Foundation, Inc. is a Filipino organization
founded 33 years ago to work for social justice and Fair Trade
Marketing and Producer Assistance as a means to reduce
poverty, child labor incidence and exploitation of the poor.
The foundation works for human dignity and for human rights
especially sexually abused, commercially exploited children
and women, children in conflict with the law and child
workers.
Approximately, almost 3 out of 10 children belonged to a poor families, according to the 2002 Annual Poverty Indicators survey. Furthermore, the sexual exploitation of women and children through sex tourism starts with their economic deprivation. Rural poverty breaks up families, causes migration to the cities, takes children out of school, puts them on the streets as beggars and leaves them vulnerable to child prostitution.
A growing number of children today find themselves in situations of abuse, violence, and exploitation, brought about by a host of social ills, notably poverty. Most likely, children left in the custody of their father, stepfather or other male members of the family are vulnerable to child sexual and physical abuse. Some children with such traumatic experiences and has no access to social justice fall into prostitution, early pregnancy and other social problems.
Over the years, PREDA has been the pioneer in fighting prostitution and child abuses in Olongapo City and nearby provinces. The advocacy campaigns, information dissemination, and social mobilizations pave way in the reporting of child prostitution, child abuse, and domestic violence. As Preda continues to confront the government officials and other non-government organizations to address the needs of the children.
CHILDHOOD FOR CHILDREN HOME FOR GIRLS: Project of PREDA is to provide temporary shelter and therapeutic intervention with the sexually and physically abused and exploited children. Services provided includes educational assistance, legal assistance, therapeutic Interventions, and health and nutrition assistance. To further emphasize, the family of the children is also included in the Recovery Programme of the center wherein family counseling and assessment is conducted. If assessed that the child's family is in need of livelihood assistance, the family is therefore given the opportunity to be trained and be skilled with the help of PREDA Fair Trade Department.
4. Project
The name Childhood for Children center was derived from
the reality that abused children may have lost their childhood
as a result of the abuses committed to them. They either act
out as adults in order to be treated like adult. Most often
they try to forget the past traumatic experience but that only
results to either abnormal behavior and at times, mental
imbalance.
For the past 12 years, the PREDA Foundation has been operating a Therapeutic community for victims of child abuse. The services became more focused to girl-victims of sexual and physical abuse since 1996. However, it is valuable to remember that since 1974 the Preda Foundation has been operating as a Drug Abuse Rehabilitation Center for the youth until 1991. Preda also provided social services and temporary shelter for street children since 1983 after it has expressed child in the City of Olongapo. Preda therefore has a long and remarkable experiences in the rehabilitation of young people who are either victims of drug abuse or of any kind of child abuse.
PREDA as a whole works in partnership with a number of governmental and non governmental organizations on behalf of children's rights. Its extensive network of agencies has helped them to operate more efficiently by collaborating on projects and pooling resources. It has also helped the Foundation to mobilize a great deal of support for their various campaigns. We have various network on international, national, regional and local levels. To name a few, we are part of:
1. Department of Justice Task Force on Child Protection
2. Children and Youth Foundation of the Philippines
3. International Youth Network
4. Children and Youth Foundation in the Philippines
5. Regional Sub-Committee on the Welfare of Children (RSCWC)
6. End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism (ECPAT) Philippine
branch
7. International Justice Mission
8. ABSNET -DSWD III
9. READLANI DSWD III
10. Olongapo Zambales Civil Society Network
Preda is also very active on the international stage of children's rights and protection. Organizations that they work with include:
1. International Forum for Children Welfare
2. International Catholic Child Bureau
3. Jubilee Campaign for the Protection of rights of children
4. Asia Pacific Forum for Child Welfare
5. Concrete
steps of support/cooperation
The Childhood for Children Home for Girls Project is
inter-related with the other PREDA projects. It employs a
holistic approach to combat social issues in the society such
as child abuse, sex exploitation, drug abuse, human rights
violations against children, women and indigenous people.
Mainly, the center is providing services to 50 children in the center. Services such as educational, health and nutrition, psycho-social therapy, and legal assistance is provided. Aside from that, we have at least 46 After-care clients and four (4) Outreach clients where the services such as educational and legal assistance is provided.
The rehabilitative work of the Childhood for Children programme may be divided into three broad areas, namely admission, recovery and finally graduation and reintegration. The period of stay in the residential programme varies for each child. On average they spend approximately one year in care, although this depends on the circumstances of the child and their home situations.
Admission to the Childhood for Children residential programme is a week long process involving four steps. The first deals with the circumstances surrounding the client's referral, such as details of her history and the nature of the abuse. The second involves a deliberation of the case and the initiation of various measures. The third includes the orientation of the client and includes their formal induction. Finally the fourth covers the medical, psychological, psychiatric and medico-legal process. These processes represent the foundation of the recovery and legal action.
The programme engages in a number of therapeutic practices, educational initiatives and social activities as part of their treatment procedure. This aspect of their work may be subdivided into two categories. The first details the process of constant evaluation through case reviews and recovery plans. The second deals with the various practical aspects of the programme, including therapy, home visits, family meetings and the prosecution of legal cases.
The final component of Preda's programme is graduation. This may also be divided into two categories. The first details the process of the final case review and the reintegration of the child with her family. The second part is comprised of the after care and follow up process. It also includes the procedure in case a client has to be recalled.
In general, the main areas for which the funds/resources are being used is all in all from the admission until the graduation of the child in the center. Also, the after-care and follow-up services is supported by the funds/resources in order to further monitor the progress and development of the children.
6. Additional comments
CFC BEST
PRACTICES:
Base from the experiences and evaluation of the programme,
the following were mentioned as best practices:
1. The pursuit of justice on behalf of the child is one of the central goals of the programme.
2. Educational assistance is continued to be provided by the project as many of the families of the children would not meet the financial resources to meet such costs.
3. The involvement of the Executive Committee as a part of the rehabilitating team implies a good coordination and teamwork to best address the needs of the children.
4. Non-punishment and No Fear policy contributes to the recovery of the children especially with those children who grew up from an abusive environment.
5. The facilitators or direct care givers of the children are college graduates where in professional services are being rendered with the children.
6. Primal therapy is a technique practiced in the recovery of the children.
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