AWCP Charity Projects for 2007-2008
Concordia Children’s Services Inc. by Cuchis Erquiaga
- Concordia Children's Services is one of the charities that we support.
The facts are that it is a non-government organization registered with the SEC and licensed and accredited by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. It began its work in 1983 by caring for infants from 0-2 years old. Its' primary program is residential care for very young children who are abandoned and neglected. The second program is the street children program including urban poor children. The program is basically educational assistance. Each child is provided with a sponsor who shoulders the child's educational needs. The children are given assistance until they finish high school. The third program is a foster care program which provides temporary care to children. The cost of caring for an infant or a toddler is 4,000 to 5,000 pesos a month. This includes food, clothing, medical, hospitalization, recreational activities and the salaries of the support staff. Concordia's programs and services are administered and implemented by a complement of professional and non-professional staff led by an Executive Director. The professional staff is composed of social workers, nurses, secretary and an administrative assistant. The non-professional staff includes the child caregivers or "yayas" and utility persons.
The other facts are that they currently have 23 children, 8 are babies from 1 to 6 months old, 6 are infants from 6 months to 1.5 years old and 9 are toddlers from 1.5 to 5 years old. This number fluctuates as they get adopted or Concordia takes in another child. The street children program includes feeding the street children lunch and merienda and on weekends they include their mothers as well.
On a personal note, I went to check out their location before we gave them some funds as they had lost their prior location through no fault of their own. Another story for another day. Beth Caces (executive director) was not expecting me on the day I went due to some mis-communication. So I was able to see the orphanage without any prior preparation and found it to be clean and the children well cared for. As soon as I walked in I was surrounded by the toddlers, most of whom started holding my hands and pulling me in to be with them. They were all happy, clean and very friendly. I got a tour of the place where I saw the babies. Some were being fed while others were having their diapers changed. There was a gorgeous boy whose mother had been raped by the person she worked for. There was a toddler whose father used her legs as his ashtray. I am sure that all the children there have stories that would touch your heart as they touched mine. I felt bad that I did not bring anything for the children and offered to go to the store to purchase some items and ended spending 5 times more than I originally thought of spending but it did my hear some good. It would be nice to be able to do more.
This is one of the charities that we help and is one of the reasons why this club exists. You should be proud of yourselves for helping make a change in one of these children's lives.
Should any of you want to go see the children, please let me know. Should any of you want to participate as a sponsor for the street children, the cost is 4,000 pesos per year for elementary level and 5,000 per year for high school level.
You can also donate food, milk, diapers and clothing for the children that live at the orphanage. Anything is always greatly appreciated.
St. Anthony’s Boys School
- Our donations will provide academic support for 13 High School students for the next school year which begins June 2007. Six of these students are orphans who in addition to tuition will also receive room and board.
I.D.E.A
- A school for the deaf in Bohol. 10 high school students will be sponsored for Sped class tution and room and board.
ERDA Technical School in Metro Manila
- Academic support for 10 high school students tuition for the academic year of 2007-2008.
The Little Children’s Home
- AWCP recommended TLCH to Kabisig ng Kalahi Foundation for a donation of infant formula. They were granted a very large quantity which will cover the TLCH programs needs for the next 10 months.
AEDEV Fund (Assumption Educational Development Fund)
- Academic sponsorship for 10 high school students attending Assumpta technical in San Simon, Pampanga.
Gabriel Taborin School
- Academic sponsorship for 17 technical students at this school in Davao, Mindanao. This school serves the rural poor; most are children of day laborers or seasonal farm help.
AAP (American Association of the Philippines)
- Academic sponsorship for 4 elementary school students. These students have been identified by AAP as having one American parent.
Healing Servants Foundation
- Academic support for 20 elementary school children in Sorsogon. These children are from impoverished families whose parent are employed as fisherman or day laborers.
St. Hannibal Mulit-Level School Foundation, Inc.
- Funding to have Psychological and Aptitude tests conducted among 76 elementary students who are over aged for their grade levels.
Concordia Children’s Service (Sta. Mesa, Metro Manila)
- Funding to provide repairs for the building which houses the orphans.
Family Farm School (Batangas)
- Tuition for 6 high school students. Their curriculum have a special focus on farm based technology and rural enterprise development.
The Hemangioma Treatment Foundation ( Manila)
- To provide treatments (laser, medicines, and surgery) to the poor with childhood tumors called hemangiomas and other vascular birthmarks. To educate physicians on the management of these birthmarks.
