By Ana Calvo Langdon | In the Field Representative
The following is an e-postcard from Ana Calvo Langdon, a GlobalGiving Representative in the Philippines.
On July 18th, Sandra and I met with HOST-NGO. While we knew the organization works with street kids, we had no idea how much they were doing to engage the local community in addressing this issue. We started by visiting the public Social Development Center (SDC) and finished our visit at the construction site for youth homes.
After meeting with Ton-Trong, the founder, and the small, dedicated HOST volunteer staff to learn about their commitment to engaging local officials in helping street children, we visited the SDC, their main project which accommodates between 30 to 70 children.
By working with local officials, HOST-NGO was overseeing the building of new bathrooms and Ton-Trong said the kitchen and dorms will be next.
But the greatest change is not in facilities but in the children. Thanks to HOST-NGO, every day they have a full schedule (usually “Alternative Learning System”- school - in the mornings and activities, such as aikido, macramé and organic farming in the afternoon). When Ton-Trong arrived last year, “the children were almost all day in a room doing nothing. You couldn’t hear them talking or laughing.” but things are slowly changing. These changes come little by little because HOST-NGO wants the local government to be accountable for the center - and that it is not a task that can be taught in one day. HOST-NGO is all about teaching the skills and giving ownership of the project to the community, so it can be sustainable in the long term.
Sandra and I were blown away by the small but dedicated volunteer staff at HOST-NGO. From their youngest member, Ton´s 14-month old son, to their volunteers, their hospitality, enthusiasm, and dedication prove that community-led development leads to long term success.
By Fanette Guichard | Communication and Fundraising Manager
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