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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.
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.
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