Philippines - protection for traumatized
girls and boys
Project region: Östliche Visayas, Mindanao und
Caraga (Gesamtprojekt)
Project duration: Juli 2017 - Oktober 2020
The
background
In the Philippines, a quarter of the population lives below the national poverty line. Often girls and boys drop out of school and are forced to work. In many cases, children are also given away by their families or fall victim to traffickers who carry them off to work abroad or to other parts of the country. According to studies, between 60,000 and 100,000 children in the Philippines are forced into prostitution. Particularly at risk are young girls. The victims often come from villages near major ports or bus stations. From there they are brought to the big cities and tourist regions of the country.
The overall project
With the project Stop child trafficking! We are strengthening the protection structures for girls and boys in 24 villages and towns in the regions of Eastern Visayas, Mindanao and Caraga. We help children and adolescents affected by trafficking to process their traumatic experiences and offer them new life and educational perspectives. Approximately 80,000 children and young people benefit from our work in the project regions. Because of their special vulnerability, girls are the focus of many measures.
The project component
The component Protection for traumatized girls and boys is part of the overall project and contributes to its achievement. In order to provide the necessary support to children who have been victims of human trafficking, we are expanding a care center and setting it up with the necessary materials. Twenty adolescents who have already graduated from school have the opportunity to undergo vocational training or attend training to set up their own microenterprises.
Our activities
Extension of a care center for the victims of child trafficking
In many cases, child victims of trafficking can not return to their usual environment after being released. Reasons for this are, for example, that the family of the victim himself was involved in the deportation or the parent or guardian can not be found after years. In these cases, the children are initially cared for in care centers.
There they receive psychological help and learn to deal with their experiences, so that they can look positively into the future again. In Cagayan de Ort on Mindanao, five such centers are run by civil society organizations. In the Eastern Visayas, the Ministry of Social Affairs runs a number of care centers, especially for girls.
As part of this project component, one of these care centers receives special support. In order to improve the living environment of the children, we also make improvements in this center and improvements in the equipment. For example, bedrooms and sanitary facilities are being renovated and a room is being set up where the children can meet with psychologists in a safe environment and talk about their experiences. When furnishing the care center we put a special focus on the needs of girls. The selection of the center will take place after an exact needs analysis.
To lead victims back into everyday life
Children who can return to school receive financial support for travel expenses, school uniforms and school supplies. In this way, the needs of the children are to be covered and their life situation improved. All of this makes it easier for children to re-integrate into society. 20 young people who have already completed secondary education will be given the opportunity to undergo vocational training or to attend training to set up their own microenterprises. This gives them the opportunity to earn their own living. The risk of becoming a victim of exploitation is thereby reduced.
Examination and evaluation of project activities
Throughout the duration of the project, regular meetings of all involved partners take place. There, the project progress is discussed, experiences gained are exchanged and necessary corrections are made in the implementation of the measures. On the basis of a basic data survey at the beginning of the project, a detailed evaluation will be carried out after completion of the project.
