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.
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.
posted by Ingrid's blog at
8:38 AM
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