Provide primary health care for street children

Mary Ann enjoys being a young health advocate to street children, and helping to take care of their health in the simplest way she can.

The 17-year old has been a junior health worker (JHW) with Childhope Asia Philippines since 2009. Her tasks range from administering first-aid and treating wounds, to educating street children on the basics of proper hygiene and health care.

It’s no surprise that Mary Ann has a heart for street children, as she sees herself in them in more ways than one.  She used to be a child wandering around the streets of Luneta in Manila, begging and searching for ways to get by. Her parents earn meager incomes from being freelance photographers. Her siblings also used to scavenge plastic bottles and sell them to help feed the family.

STREET EDUCATION

“I was very curious and naughty then. I saw some of my friends and other children listening to a man who was teaching them lessons. I just joined them,” Mary Ann said.

Mary Ann soon realized that the man was a street educator, and that street educators would be part of her life for a long time. Soon, she found herself attending Childhope’s alternative learning sessions and participating in activities that challenged her and developed her skills. 

“I learned about child rights and responsibilities, and important things that I took for granted as a street child. I learned how to fix myself, practice proper hygiene, and work hard to finish my studies,” she said.

Mary Ann wants to help create a better future for her and her family, and she is working hard to reach her dreams.  She passed all her ALS examinations, and is now in grade 11 at Emilio Aguinaldo College. She maintains high grades as a beneficiary of Childhope’s educational assistance program.

SAVING LIVES

Mary Ann’s training as a junior health worker is something she is very proud of. As a JHW, her first priority is the health and well-being of street children.  She feels blessed to have helped many children in her small ways.

“I learned how to treat wounds through first-aid, use herbal medicines, dos and don’ts in resuscitations, and many more. It’s a way for me to pay it forward,” Mary Ann said.

“The children call me “doctor” or “teacher”. I admit, I do dream of being either in the future. But for now, I am proudly a junior health worker,” she added.

She never thought that the life skills she learned would be put to test. One of the biggest challenges she faced was helping treat a child with head injuries.

“I panicked at first. We were at a feeding program, and a child came up to me and he had a cut on his head and was bleeding. After realizing the situation, I asked the child to calm down and sit. I washed the wound and covered it the way we were taught as JHWs,” Mary Ann said.

“By God’s grace, we were able to help the child and refer him for appropriate treatment,” she added.

ADVOCATE FOR CHILD HEALTHCARE AND WELL-BEING

Mary Ann continues to pursue her dreams. For now, she is serious about finishing her studies and being active in advocating for child’s rights, health care and well-being. She believes that as a child leader, she should be responsible to, and accountable for, the street children she serves.

“We should always aspire to be role models for the street children. They look up to us. We are not perfect, but we should try to earn their respect by being responsible and disciplined youth,” Mary Ann said.

For Mary Ann, working with street children has taught her the importance of teaching and protecting children --- so they too, can be empowered and learn to give back by serving others in their small ways.

Links:

• Check out our website
• Search Childhope Asia Philippines

MOBILE CLINIC: CREATING A HEALTHY FUTURE FOR OUR STREET CHILDREN

With the streets as their home, more and more poor Filipino children are at risk of getting sick.

They are used to dirty environments, as they search through trash to find food and anything useful. Their families cannot afford to buy medicine or get treatment. So when street children get sick, they just hope to recover. Besides, hospitals may be too jam-packed to even accommodate them.

But a dedicated team of doctor, junior health workers, volunteers, and an ambulance driver tries to ease the street children’s suffering, by bringing the medical services to them.

MOBILE HEALTH

Childhope, a non-government organization advocating for the cause of street children, is strengthening its Mobile Health Clinic (MHC) project.  The team, on board a van complete with medical equipment, goes to the poorest areas of Manila every week to provide health care and medical services to street children and their families.

“Most of our patients are street children aged 7 to 17 years old. We offer a wide range of services, from treating wounds and providing check-ups, to monitoring the nutritional status of the children, deworming them, and providing dental examinations,” says Josefina Pamela Carpio, Childhope’s doctor and head of the MHC project.

Dra. Carpio says a primary concern is making sure the street children get the nutrients they need. Childhope carries out feeding programs for the kids, but Carpio says a long-term goal is to ensure that street children stay healthy by educating them on the right kinds of food to eat.

The mobile health clinic provides the street children with vitamins and mineral supplements they need to prevent them from being vulnerable to various illnesses. It also educates the children on how to access health services from the government, and provides counselling on the need to avoid and stop smoking and inhalant substance abuse.

MALNUTRITION, PREVENTION

From January to August 2016, the mobile health clinic and the team treated and served more than a thousand street children. By August, 70% of the children have normal weight, while 11% of them are malnourished. A small percent are overweight and obese.

“We try to ensure that street children don’t stay malnourished, because this condition will have adverse effects on their growth and development. It’s a difficult process because even though we give them vitamins and food, the challenge is for street families to maintain a healthy lifestyle,” says Carpio.

But life on the streets takes a toll on children and their families, and it gets very hard for them to cope when the diseases worsen.

Carpio says based on their assessment, most street children suffer from acute respiratory infection, urinary tract infection, acute gastroenteritis, dental caries, asthma, and wounds. 

CHILDREN HELP CHILDREN STAY HEALTHY

The youth play a vital role in ensuring the success of the mobile health clinic project. Childhope trains junior health workers (JHWs) to serve as young health advocates. The JHWs, also children themselves, help other children by educating them on primary health care, conducting first aid, and referring them to public health centers.

“Child participation is essential to mobilizing health services and resources. Through the JHW project, children are showing other children that they can take charge of their own health, and that no one is too young when it comes to keeping healthy habits,” says Carpio.

Currently, Childhope has about 30 junior health workers assisting doctors and street educators in caring for the medical needs of street children.

16-year old Steven is one of Childhope’s junior health workers. The Grade Ten student of Manila High School has been one of Childhope’s beneficiaries since 2012, and he says his role as a JHW has opened up opportunities for him to learn and improve.

“Masaya dahil nakakatulong ako sa ibang bata. Natuturuan ko silang gamutin yung mga sugat nila at gumamit ng first aid kit. Kailangan matuto ako mabuti, kasi ayokong ituro sa kanila yung mga hindi ko kayang gawin (I am happy to help other street children. I teach them how to treat their wounds and use first-aid kit. I want to learn well, because I want to teach them well),” Steven said.

Steven said that before, he did not take good personal hygiene and healthy habits seriously. Now, he is passionately advocating for them. “Magandang simulan natin sa mga bata, para madala nila ang practice hanggang pagtanda (It’s good that we start them young, so they can take these healthy practices as they grow up),” he said.

Links:

• Check out our website