ChildFund Philippines recently shared its milestones and impacts in supporting Filipino children, youth, and local partners, emphasizing collaborative action as a key driver in safeguarding and supporting Filipino children and youth.
milestones in supporting Filipino children and youth. (L-R: Allan Lee Nuñez, Advocacy and Child Protection Specialist of ChildFund Philippines; Carla Santos, President of The Civil Society Network for Education Reforms; Dr. Ma. Bella Ponferrada, Nutrition Specialist of UNICEF; Dr. Elizabeth Protacio-De Castro, Executive Director of the Psychosocial Support and Children’s Rights Resource Center; Francis Joseph Dela Cruz. Partnership Advocacy Adviser of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities; Anand Vishwakarma, CEO and Country Director of ChildFund Philippines; and Kim Garcia, Business Development Officer of ChildFund Philippines.)
During their event “Connection for Impact,” which gathered partners and stakeholders, ChildFund Philippines announced its goal to reach 5 million Filipino children and families by 2026 and every year thereafter. This will be its contribution to ChildFund International’s global goal of reaching 100 million children and families by 2030.
The event also featured a panel discussion with children and youth advocate groups from The Civil Society Network for Education Reforms, Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, UNICEF, and Psychosocial Support and Children’s Rights Resource Center. These groups emphasized the crucial role of collaboration between various sectors in creating a sustainable future for Filipino children and youth.
“We aim to scale up our efforts to address the evolving challenges faced by Filipino children and youth,” said Anand Vishwakarma, Country Director of ChildFund Philippines. “Together with our partners, we are driven by the urgent need to create broader and more sustainable impacts through collaborative efforts.”
In 2023, the organization reached 21 provinces, 35 cities and municipalities, 365 barangays, and in partnership with 11 local partners, supporting a total of 54 million children, youth, and adults.
ChildFund supports children and youth through various life stages, focusing on education, health, skilling and livelihoods, child protection and participation, and climate action. “From birth to age five, children should be healthy and secure. From six to their teenage years, they need proper education to build personal agency. By young adulthood, they should have developed skills for employment,” said Dong Waña, Program and Sponsorship Director of ChildFund Philippines.
ChildFund supported 610 learners with disabilities through Project Advancement of Children’s Inclusive Education through Virtual Engagement (ACHIEVE) and developed an e-learning platform that improved children’s participation. They also established neighborhood play programs in remote communities with limited access to early childhood care and development. Additionally, the youth are supported in making informed decisions about sexual and reproductive health through inclusive services and information. Under its new Job Opportunity Building for Youth (JOB for Youth) program, the organization has so far provided industry and technopreneurship training to 396 youths..
In terms of disaster preparedness, the Children and Youth-led Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (CYDRM) Program aims to engage children and youth in disaster risk management and climate action initiatives. ChildFund also continuously promotes transparency in disaster relief through Project Relief Allocation Management, Distribution and Monitoring (RAMDAM), integrating technology-based interventions and climate-adaptive innovations.
The organization launched #FunOfAKind campaign that encourages people to volunteer their “time, talent, and treasure” to ChildFund’s programs, supporting children and youth. This will allow the organization to:
- Improve culturally relevant and developmentally appropriate learning experiences for indigenous children in BARMM through an inclusive education program called Bajau Ongka-kumpit for Access and Transition to School (BOAT School),
- Enhance social and emotional learning for children and promote safe learning environments,
- Withdraw more children from the worst form of child labor,
- Engage more youth in leading their own Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) initiatives; and,
- Rally for wide adoption of the RAMDAM disaster response app by national agencies.
“The challenges faced by Filipino children are complex,” said Vishwakarma. “By working together – government, businesses, non-government organizations, and concerned citizens – we can achieve far better outcomes for them.”