Dear Donor,
We're gald to send you some news of the recent activities conducted for our beneficiaries by CAMELEON staff and volunteers.
Wishing you a pleasant reading!
The CAMELEON Team
CAMELEON's 25th anniversary
The year 2022 marked 25 years of action for CAMELEON in the Philippines. For the occasion, the local team gathered with Laurence Ligier, the Foundress, to celebrate years of advocacy and achievements for the protection of children. CAMELEON's Cirquera were honored with a circus show, as well as all the staff who work every day in our mission in changing the lives of girl survivors of sexual abuse and disadvantaged children.
Horse therapy in Negros
The girls of Silay center went again to Happy Horse Farms Equestrian Center to spend time with the animals. These activities help them to build their emotional awareness and ability to communicate with others. They will slowly regain their self-confidence, and the interaction with the horses will help in developing their empathy.
Building of our new therapy room at Passi
The therapy room of Passi center has been built. Throughout the year, yoga, music therapy and meditation sessions will be offered to the girls by professionals and volunteers. We are working on these new activities which are complementary to the psychological follow-up and the therapeutic circus to help the girls overcome their trauma and rebuild their lives.
Visit of French circus artists to our centers and circus shows
At the end of the year, we were honored to welcome back the French circus students and teachers from ENACR (Ecole Nationale des Arts du Cirque de Rosny) who trained the girls in circus arts. They prepared together with them 2 shows held in Iloilo and Manila, in partnership with Les Grandes Personnes and the Embassy of France to the Philippines and Micronesia. The association and its partners like ENACR strongly believes in the potential of integrating circus as a multi-faceted intervention that provides therapy and rehabilitation to girl survivors of sexual abuse. We thank them warmly for their commitment and the sharing of their talents with our beneficiaries.
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Dear Donor,
In celebration of the 75th year of friendship between France and the Philippines, and in partnership with the Embassy of France to the Philippines, Ayala Land, Make It Makati and Taste of France, the CAMELEON girls performed a circus show “Breakthrough: Unfolding Stories of Hope and Transformation”, on December 16 at Makati Ayala Triangle Gardens.
Circus is a vital tool in the healing process of our girls. It seeks to boost the girls’ confidence by turning them into physically active individuals and engaging them in activities that give value to loving every inch of their body. We’re thankful for the trainings and skills taught to our beneficiaries by the French circus artists from ENACR - Ecole Nationale des Arts du Cirque de Rosny and Les Grandes Personnes.
Thanking you for your support, we wish you to enjoy Christmas and new year celebrations!
The CAMELEON Team
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Dear Donor,
We hope that you enjoyed your summer. We come back with some news of our beneficiaries' activities held last summer. Please feel free to contact us if you have questions or if you wish to sponsor a girl.
Best wishes,
The CAMELEON Team
Sending-off Ceremonies
On July 25 and August 6, 2022, ceremonies were held at the Passi and Silay centers to celebrate the departure of 17 reintegrated girls. Their families - parents or guardians - as well as the local social workers attended these events. This is a very important step for the girls of CAMELEON as they will be reconnecting with their families and becoming more independent. Several meetings were previously held with the local social workers to ensure the safety of the girls and the best placement for them (biological family, foster family, CAMELEON dormitory or boarding house). A circus show specially designed for their families was presented by the reintegrated girls during this event.
Games and activities in the centers
Many activities were organized this summer in the center for the girls by the tutors, the sport and dance teachers and the volunteer animator Elise. Manual and artistic activities were proposed in the morning and the beginning of the afternoon then from 4pm games and sports. The Cirquera de CAMELEON had a week of training to learn the new choreographies that they will present during their next shows. Finally, to prepare the return of the girls to school, the tutors organized half-day tutorial classes on August, 22.
Activities for the new girls in the Aftercare program - Iloilo
The 13 Passi girls reintegrated this July 2022 underwent group therapy sessions on key topics such as conflict resolution, anger management, intimacy and trust, responsibility and self-esteem. An activity was also organized for them in Iloilo. They were taken on a tour of the city using public transportation. The purpose of the day was to help them locate basic and important information for their return to their villages. A visit to the Iloilo museum was also organized to introduce them to the local culture.
Therapy camp for Aftercare girls - Negros
In August, 14 reintegrated girls on the island of Negros participated in a therapeutic camp in a mountain resort. They attended various discussions led by the social workers, as well as an awareness workshop on their use of Internet and good online practices organized by a policewoman. They camped on site and enjoyed the swimming pool and good meals prepared by a cook before returning to their families.
Visit of the French Ambassador to the Philippines to CAMELEON
Michèle Boccoz, Ambassador of France to the Philippines, visited our center in Silay. She was accompanied by Ines Ferrer, Attaché in charge of cooperation with civil society. This visit was an opportunity for the whole team and Heide Foulc, Director of CAMELEON Philippines, to present the different programs and projects of the association. The girls also presented a great show with dances and songs !
Home renovation assistance
Four girls received home renovation assistance last July. This assistance is provided to the families of the girls being reintegrated to ensure their safety and privacy once they return to their families or legal guardians. The homes of the girls damaged by Typhoon Agaton and flash floods last April have also been repaired.
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Dear donor,
We are pleased to present you the main activities of the girls for the past 2 months:
Easter activities for the girls
Our beneficiaries celebrated Easter week with different workshops offered by the housemothers. In Silay center, on Easter Thursday, the girls had fun recreating famous paintings. They also gathered for "Taizé", a form of music known for its simple yet rich and meditative nature, considered therapeutic. On Saturday, several girls shared their experiences with their peers to inspire them through an activity called "The Last 7 Words". The housemothers then facilitated an evening with a campfire and songs. On Easter Sunday, the girls enjoyed the traditional egg painting followed by the hunt.
Manicure and Pedicure Training
Last November, 2021, several girls had followed a manicure and massage training.For them to practice the skills they had learned, a new session was organized this April. During the training, the girls were paired up: one played the role of the client and the other the manicure. The activity took place in the form of a competition and the housemothers elected 5 groups of winners. The girls who are interested and heading for professional studies will be able to earn extra income with their skills when they reach adulthood and are reintegrated into the community.
Therapy camp
From April 22 to 24, the beneficiaries of the Silay center went to a therapeutic camp outside the center, at a beach in Hinigaran, west of Negros. They participated in recreational activities such as swimming, group games, and jogging. They also camped in tents, sang, and discussed their emotions at the end of the trip. It was a good opportunity for them to relax and regain their confidence to gradually face the outside world after the several months of lockdown caused by the pandemic.
Parents effectiveness seminar
A new training was held for the parents and guardians of our beneficiaries in Carles. Thanks to CAMELEON's social workers, they received advice on parenting and especially on positive communication to facilitate their relationship with their daughters, who returned home after their stay in our centers. It was a time of friendly exchange during which they could share and express their experience.
Sports Olympics
A three-day sports Olympics was held from May 12-14, 2022 in Passi. 65 CAMELEON girls and 12 children from the surrounding villages participated in various sports activities such as basketball, volleyball, rugby, and team building activities.
If you have any question or if you wish to sponsor a girl, feel free to contact us. Thank you for your trust and support.
The CAMELEON team
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Cooking and baking activities
Various cooking workshops were organized for the girls of the Rehabilitation programs. Through these educational workshops, CAMELEON wishes to offer a complete training so that our beneficiaries can become independent and autonomous women.
"I am so proud to have cooked for the other girls. It was very nice to receive their greetings. I really enjoyed learning different recipes while spending a friendly time in the kitchen."
New arrivals
Four girl survivors of sexual abuse have arrived at our centers in Passi and Silay. Due to the health crisis, they had to respect a quarantine before they could join the other beneficiaries. There are now 153 girls benefiting from protection and healing inside our centers and through the After-care program.
Valentine's Day celebration
Valentine's Day is a highlight in the Philippines. Throughout the month of February, the girls participated in different activities with the theme of love. "Love in the Time of Pandemic: Celebrating Love in All Its Forms" was this year's theme. Valentine's Day was a great opportunity for the girls to reveal that love is universal and that it is not limited to the traditional couple but can be expressed in many other ways. Everyone can give and receive love and it is one of the fundamental rights of the Child.
Receipt of parcels
Three packages of donations from France and Japan arrived in the Philippines. Clothes, shoes, books, masks and medical equipment were distributed to the girls, who were very happy to receive these useful gifts. We'd like to thank all the donors, individuals and companies who regularly make in-kind donations for the girls and the teams on the ground.
Vaccination against COVID-19
The CAMELEON girls have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The 10 youngest girls were able to be vaccinated in February. Cindy, 9, shared "I am not afraid to be vaccinated anymore because it’s not that painful, it feels like the bite of the ant.”
CAMELEON ensures that all girls are protected from the spread of the virus. Access to care is made possible through our health program. All beneficiaries receive regular consultations, free access to medication, necessary treatments and vaccines, as well as gynecological and obstetrical care and regular psychological support.
Dance activities
Dance workshops on various genres like popular modern dance and samba were participated in by 30 girls from Negros center. This activity provides the girls with the opportunity to strengthen connections among themselves and to improve their dancing skills.
CAMELEON continues to organize activities that will help the girls and boost their self-confidence. Dancing becomes their hobby in the center.
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