In our present day civilized world, there are more than 100 million street children who are unloved, devalued, and unable to reach their potential in life.
Bogo Street Kids--Humanility Lighthouse Northern Cebu
A Promise Is A Promise
It’s February 2014, and Northern Cebu in The Philippines was still deeply traumatized by the devastating effects of Typhoon Haiyan. While on a joint humanitarian relief mission with other local NGO’s, we first came across the street children of Cebu Island’s Northernmost City - Bogo. Moved by their heart breaking stories of poverty, neglect and abuse, we made a personal promise to these most vulnerable and deserving of children, that we would do whatever we could to help them.
Cruel Fate
We knew, when we came into this, that many of these kids had been abused/trafficked, but slowly and surely as the kids grew to trust us, details began to emerge of ongoing abuse of the worst kind. We were truly shocked at the scale and seriousness of the incidents reported to us.
This changed the game completely. This was no longer simply an educational or feeding program, this was now all about child protection, welfare, and therapeutic aftercare. Was this our job? No, it wasn’t, not really. But with such limited resources available in a small provincial city in The Philippines, it was a question of; if we don’t do this, then who will?
Now, we had to deal with Police investigations, court cases, social services, specialized counselling and after care, and clear and present dangers to both our kids and staff. This was no comfortable place to be and this was no easy task. More resources would be most definitely be needed now or quite simply we would fail these kids and have to leave them to the fate of these darker forces.
We realized that we needed to hire a professional to help us develop our program.
The Solution--A Shelter/Home for the children--The Lighthouse Center
In June 2015, Humanility hired Collyn Laurio, a licensed social worker, to direct the Bogo Program and establish a 24/7 Crisis and Intervention Center which has now become a safe and loving home for the 22 former street children that now live there. Collyn has developed a program with her team that develops the children physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We now have a 2.5 acre Lighthouse center that houses our 37 on property children and 12 staff including our organic farm and livestock, a 3 court pickleball/basketball facility, a girls’ and boys’ dorm, staff housing, administration building, and some guest facilities for our volunteers.
Not Street Children Anymore!
Twelve years later and the change in our kids is unimaginable. They have become a family under Collyn and her team's apt guidance. Our kids awaken each day in a safe and loving place, do their daily chores, eat healthy meals, attend school, ride bikes, play pickleball and basketball, and have counseling sessions with our staff to overcome past trauma.They are no longer embarrassed by their clothing, no longer have to beg for food or go hungry, and no longer sleep unprotected on the streets. Our kids attended summer camp and tutoring and are geared up to begin their new school year in June. The Lighthouse Center has become well known in Bogo as the place that houses and helps street children, and the police and barangay captains deliver any children they find alone at night in Bogo to our shelter.
We hope very much, you will join us on the journey and be inspired to help us change the trajectory of their lives and enable their dreams to come true.
How You Can Help
We could not do you this without you! It is because of you that these 37 children are now living in safety and shelter and that 20 children in our auxiliary program can go to school and eat. You can sponsor a child for $50 a month, which pays for school tuition, housing and food, health and clothing and all the needs that a child may have. You may also make a donation of any amount to help towards completing our building project, purchasing clothing, school textbooks, bicycles, sports equipment, or help to pay for any program expenses. Thank you for your help!
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Children on the street are those who are still in contact with their families, but due to abuse at home, parents who do not protect and provide for them, or poverty, they beg or work on the streets to help their families survive.
Children of the street actually live on the street, outside of a normal family environment. Many have been abandoned, and others have run away from home, often in response to psychological, physical or sexual abuse.
Most of the street children of the world lose contact with school and other societal institutions, and many become victims of human trafficking, syndicate control, commercial sexual exploitation, drug abuse, and crime.
Poverty, natural disasters, war and political unrest, domestic violence and breakdown of families, sexual, physical or emotional abuse, substance abuse and human trafficking are all causes of this worldwide street children epidemic. The three-fold solution of emancipation, education, and empowerment of these children begins with you.