Child Protection: a basic need

Lately, I've been assessing Filipino's giving behaviors to NGO's, and I realized that most of them tend to give or respond quickly to immediate and basic needs of people: food, shelter, clothing. Even when we present HOPE worldwide's projects to them, if they have P10,000 to give, and have their own choice, they will rather give it to the feeding program.

I guess, it's part of human survival instinct. As long as the children have their top three basic needs, they will survive. It's true, they will physically "survive". However, HOPE worldwide Philippines deals with not just the physical, but the emotional, psychological, and spiritual aspects of children. These are intangible needs but are very true, and very real needs.

I do realize that it is up to us (as an organization) to communicate to people that "protection from harm" is a basic need of a child. Without it, the child will cease to become a child. Without it, the child will not grow to become the best that he/she can be. Without it, the child can not develop normally emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. You can provide a child with all his/her basic needs, but abuse lowers down his/her capability to secure those things for himself/herself when she grows up.

What if we gear away from the "image" of simply stopping child abuse? What if we market our "service" as a basic need? A child's basic need for love and protection, and without it, the child will not develop normally.

Actually, studies have shown that long term abuse actually "physically" damages the brain. A child is not designed to suffer the impact of "abuse". Instead, nature has it that a child at his/her age should be showered with love, attention, affection. When abuse happens, the brain gets traumatized, causing chemical imbalance in the child. This then, causes the brain to under develop. This explains why children who suffered abuse may have to deal with psychological and temper problems in the future. (I will post that article in this website next time).

So, the child needs not only food, shelter, and clothing. The child needs protection from all kinds of harm too. And may be that's a better angle in marketing our cause.

Cute inspiring story about sCAN

Here's a nice story about SCAN.

A four-year old niece of Beth Revuelta (of AMS) saw the SCAN solicitation form. Curios, she asked Beth, "Tita, why does the girl look ugly?". Beth then, began explaining that this girl is from a poor community and is in danger of being abused by people. This girl needs to be protected from abuse, and the way to do it is to teach her the "personal safety lesson." The lesson will teach her how to protect herself. But, people need to register her for the lesson, and it only costs P5. (Beth, uy! Nandyan ka pala sa mailing list. Tama ba 'ko?)

The following day, this girl's mom tagged her along at work. Little did Beth and her mom know that she actually brought the solicitation form with her. Then, with all the wits she has a child, she began asking people for money. She knew of course that she was doing it to save the child in the picture. Lo and behold, after the collection was done, she gathered around P400! And it could have been more, kasi she only recognizes P5 and P10 coins. People wanted to give P50 bills to her but she wouldn't accept them. Hindi niya kasi kilala! Actually, she didn't spare Beth from the collection. Hindi siya pumayag na hindi magbigay si Beth.

What is the morale of the story? Teach your children to recognize bills! Este, mali pala...

I guess that's why God is calling us to child-likeness. To a child, everything is clear, "Someone needs help. I want to help. Others should help." She felt sorry that the poor girl (in the picture) was ugly and was in danger of being abused. She felt compelled to do something about it. Wow, I am moved by her story talaga. All of us can do a lot more than what this little girl did. We just have to remember that child within all of us.

And also remember...the child/children that you now have. They too need the gift of protection. I encourage everyone to start the personal safety lessons at your own homes. Be trained to be a facilitator and spare your own child/children from abuse. And when you've done that, help out the other kids in your community. You will never know how great an impact you can make to a child's life.

The next time you visit the Center of HOPE, listen to the stories of the children who fell victim to abuse, or simply watch them. Then you will realize the big, big difference of sparing a child from abuse.

Advance Merry Christmas everyone!

Sexual abuse in the Bible. God cares.

Read 2 Samuel 13:1-22. To read the Bible, please click the link below

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Samuel%2013:1-22&version=31

The following article was taken from the Bible, "NIV: Women of Faith Study Bible"

Innocence Betrayed

Tamar was beautiful and confident, a daughter of a great king (David). She was an innocent young woman, full of compassion. Any who want to put the blame on victims of rape will get no help from Tamar. There is absolutely no evidence in Scripture that she shared responsibility for the disaster that befell her.

When David, her father, asked her to help her eldest half brother, she agreed without a murmur. But in one horrific act by Amnon, Tamar's life passed from one of great promise to one of desolation. A man she knew as a brother made her a woman who, in that culture, could no longer marry, a woman striped of her dignity and made her a desolate woman.

Amnon was bot the only man to betray Tamar. His friend, Jonadab, a cousin of both Amnon and Tamar, had helped him plot the unspeakable act. Tamar's brother Absalom took her into his home, but he said, "Be quiet now, my sister; he is your brother. Don't take this thing to heart" (2 Samuel 13:20). He gave the appearance of dismissing this devastating crime against his sister. (Two years later he took revenge on Amnon by killing him.) But how could a woman not "take this thing to heart," especially when the assailant was a close relative?

And why didn't her father comfort her? "When the King heard of all this, he was furios" (2Sa. 13:21). He certainly was amgry that Amnon, his firstborn, had made him complicit. But no thought for Tamar? Did David's failure to intervene merely reflect the value of his time? Tamar is David's only daughter mentioned by name in Scripture. God wanted us to know her story. As shown in David's response, people prefer to ignore crimes of sexual exploitation, molestation and rape, expecting victims to "just get over it." Tamar was deeply damaged by her experience-the rest of her life was affected by it: "Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's house, a desolate woman" (2Sa 13:20).

Tamar reaped what she did not sow. People who loved her failed her. But God grieved. He saw; He cared. He recorded the details of the crime against her and vindicated her to all generations. We don't know to what degree she recovered over time. Tamar reminds us of all women who have suffered sexual abuse. Scripture does not minimize her suffering. If you have suffered such abuse, God doesn't minomize your suffering either. Turn to Jesus Christ for the help and healing you need.

Oprah talks about her child sexual abuse experience

Child sexual abuse is a global issue. The following article shows Oprah Winfrey talking about her own sexual abuse experience as a child.

This is what Oprah said to Jessica Coleman, a then 15-year old girl who killed her own baby out of fear of letting her family know about her pregnancy.

"Did you know that at the age of 14, I hid a pregnancy? I was raped at 9 and sexually abused from the time I was 10 to 14. At 14 years old, I became pregnant," Oprah tells Jessica.

"I hid that pregnancy from everybody. One day my ankles started to swell. I was taken to the hospital and the doctors said, 'Are you pregnant?' I didn't even know what pregnancy was. I'd been abused all this time, but I really wasn't even sure that the outcome was you have a baby. So I confessed that I had been having sex with people who had been abusing me for years. The stress of that confession caused me to go into labor, and the baby died.

"And my father said to me at that time what I'm going to say to you," Oprah continues. "What you have done is the past, and you alone get to determine what your future will be.

"You have five more years to serve in prison. There are a lot of teenagers out there right now who are hiding their secret, just as I had mine, because I didn't think there was anybody I could tell about the abuse. I didn't think there was anybody I could share it with, just like you didn't feel that there was anybody you could tell. Your speaking out today is going to give a lot of girls the courage to do that. You are not your past. You are what is possible for you. Own this truth and move forward in your life. Forgive yourself, and others will be able to forgive you."

To view the full story on this article, please click on the link below:

http://www.oprah.com/tows/slide/200611/20061103/slide_20061103_284_113.jhtml

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On a personal note:

We can prevent abuse, may be not globally yet. But we can start in our own country, our own community, our own home. This is the land that God has given us. The children of today, are the ones that God has entrusted us to protect.

The STOP CHILD ABUSE NOW! (SCAN) campaign is but the first step to "making the Philippines a safer place for all kids." Join this campaign...NOW!

Be trained to become one of the SCAN advocates. Call 816-4960 for more details.

Sponsors as many children as possible for the personal safety training. One child's registration is P5 only.

Join the stand on abuse at the QUEZON CITY MEMORIAL CIRCLE, November 25, 7 am to 12 nn.

See you there!

STOP CHILD ABUSE NOW!

It doesn' take much to give 1,000,000 children a fighting chance against abuse.

It takes only P5 to register one child. Your P5 never had as much value as today. You can make a difference in as many children's lives as you want.

Donate now!

Call HOPE worldwide Philippines: 816-4960 or e-mail ingridc_le@yahoo.com for more information.

Attend the launch of the the campaign to "STOP CHILD ABUSE NOW!", November 25, 2006, 7am to 12nn at the Quezon City Memorial Circle. Come with your friends, your family, your organization, your company and let us all stand together against child abuse.

We can make this happen...NOW!

Letter for the Alkansiya campaign

Now that I actually work for HOPE my attachment to the cause has deepened. Nakakalungkot talaga kung iisipin na once naabuso na ang bata, nawawala na ang innocence niya, and in a sense, ang purity niya. Maraming epekto ang child abuse (physical man or sexual).

I never experienced any form of sexual abuse. Grateful talaga ako that I was spared from it, but not a lot of women are as lucky as I am. I feel like I owe it to the children of today to protect them and share with them what I already know about abuse.

Sa 'Pinas ngayon, taboo na pag-usapan ang incest, molestation, paedophilia. Nakakalungkot kasi ang mga bata ang nagsa-suffer kasi hindi nila kayang ipaglaban ang karapatan nila. They need us to do the fighting for them. But not because bata sila, wala silang magagawa para protektahan ang sarili nila.

That's the point of the personal safety training. The training will teach the kids what parts of their bodies should not be touched by other people. IT will teach them to say "no" when somebody wants to bad touch them, run, and tell someon they trust.

We have to empower them, and to teach their families.

Limang piso (P5) lang to register one child for the said training. This year, we will teach 1,000,000 children personal safety lessons. You can help out by volunteering to be one of the discussion facilitators when we visit barangays. But, if time doesn't allow you to go, you can help by registering children. Every P5 pays for 1 child.

Can you imagine, your P5 may mean sparing a child from sexual abuse forever? Ano ba naman ang P5, di ba?

I'd like to share with you my personal goal. My personal goal is that by October 16 (Monday), I will start saving at least P5 per day in an alkansya. Why am I doing this? Pwede naman ako magbigay na lang ng P500 pesos di ba para hindi na ako mahirapan mag-ipon?

The point is, tuwing maghuhulog ako ng P5 (or more) sa alkansya, araw-araw, maaalala ko na tumutulong ako, one child at a time, na ma-prevent ang child abuse from happening.

You can join me friends! If you decide to do so, we can turn over the alkansya on December, together with other friends who might want to support the same campaign. You can invite your friends to do the same :)

If you are interested to know more about this cause, please e-mail me ingridc_le@yahoo.com

Ingrid C. Le

Channels of blessings to the children

Dear friends, alkansya mates, brothers and sisters in the Lord,

A blessed day!

I just want to encourage you and commend your hearts for listening to the prompting of your hearts to help the children of our generation. I happen to believe that it is God who moves people's hearts to give, and you have acted on what moved you.

Child sexual abuse may be happening mostly in slums, yet it is really a "silent" epidemic that is destroying the children in all levels, regardless of political, social, and economic standing. Now that you have involved yourself in the cause somehow, you may share it with your friends. You will be amazed that people who you know are carrying scars of sexual abuse from their childhood.

I'd like to share some inspiring quotes from the Bible that show that what you are doing to spare the children from abuse is commended by God as well.

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute." Proverbs 31:8

When I read this scripture, it struck me as a very appropriate description of what we are doing for the children. We are speaking up for them. Children normally have good and amazing things to say. The problem is, society doesn't listen to them much nor take them seriously. For us, they are just children. Through our effort in empowering the children of our nation, we are amplifying their voices, so they can be heard.

I'm sure isa lang ang gusto nila, "Maging masaya at malaya bilang mga bata?" Isn't that what we wanted when we were all children?

"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believes in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." Matthew 18:5-6

This is hard line teaching from Jesus. It is better to die than to cause the little children to sin. Child sexual abuse destroys the innocence, the trust, the purity of a child. What we want is not to "cure" children from abuse, but to spare children from abuse. That is why we are teaching them personal safety lessons.

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: 'He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." 2 Corinthians 9:8-9

What we have is not meant to be used for ourselves alone, but to be shared with others. Some of God's gifts to the poor or the needy are in our treasure boxes. He wants us to give it to them. Thank you for realizing that. You are being a channel of blessing to the children and their families.

Having said all these, congratulations because you are on the right track! Encourage your friends to do the same. Here are so far the list of people who are keeping their own alkansyas for the empowerment of the children (let me know if you have friends who joined you):

1. Ingrid C. Le
2. Jolly Zamora
3. Lolit Roque
4. Joan Saldana
5. Ann Reales
6. Janis Nunez
7. Michelle Laurel - (will propose that an alkansyas be placed in her son's school)
8. Marie Carasucho
9. Carol Cristobal
10. Michele Tabacug
1 1. Jo Lopez (will help a different way)
1 2. Bong Orina (will help a different way)
13. Airem Cacdac
14. Gelbert Aplal
15. Dang Domingo
16. Arnel Villareal
17. Marc and Rose Cacho
18. Rosario Sambita
19. Briana, CJ, Danielle Lopez
20. Everlyn Alamo
21. Eugene
22. Jennil Aurelio
23. Lyly Domanais
24. Fida Samar
25. Rene and Kathy Rentino
26. Anabel Ung
27. Yana and Stefi Monje
28. Shein Alcantara
29. Maribel Wong-Liu (will put alkansya's in her gym)

God bless all of you!

St. Paul SRB graduates of 1996 support alkansya campaign for children

Excited ako kasi a number of my high school classmates are joining the alkansya campaign. Sabi ko nga sa kanila, we can have a reunion for a cause. O di ba? Thanks batchmates! Thanks for your big, big hearts for the children!

Members of the Alkansiya tropa:

1. Ingrid C. Le
2. Jolly Zamora
3. Lolit Roque
4. Joan Saldana
5. Ann Reales
6. Janis Nunez
7. Michelle Laurel - (will propose that an alkansyas be placed in her son's school)
8. Marie Carasucho
9. Carol Cristobal
10. Michele Tabacug 1
1. Jo Lopez (will help a different way) 1
2. Bong Orina (will help a different way)
13. Airem Cacdac
14. Gelbert Aplal
15. Dang Domingo
16. Arnel Villareal
17. Marc and Rose Cacho
18. Rosario Sambita
19. Briana, CJ, Danielle Lopez
20. Everlyn Alamo
21. Eugene
22. Jennil Aurelio
23. Lyly Domanais
24. Fida Samar
25. Rene and Kathy Rentino
26. Anabel Ung
27. Yana and Stefi Monje