 Merlyn is a pastor in Christian community church in Lavezares municipality in Northern Samar. Extending assistance to children-at-risk has been part of her life, personally and professionally. Assigned by Board of Trustees of the Northern Samar Children’s Ministries Network (NSCMN) to become one of its focal persons for the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention (CSAP) Capacity-Building Partnership Project with Stairway Foundation, Merlyn participated in several trainings held at the Stairway campus in Puerto Galera, Mindoro Oriental. The trainings prepared her to become a CSAP resource person. Currently, she has been conducting CSAP sessions for the elementary and high school students, teachers and parents of Lavezares. “Through Stairway’s trainings, I was able to deepen my knowledge about CSAP,” she remarks. Taking pride in being a licensed foster parent and, thus, authorized to become a temporary parent for children-at risk, she relates that she has four children-at-risk under her care. Prior to becoming a CSAP resource person, she has been conducting sessions on child trafficking under the direction of the Philippine Children Ministries Network (PCMN), and has handled a case of child sexual abuse (CSA) where the child was facilitated for adoption. “However, through SFI CSAP trainings, I learned how to relate with the CSA survivor. The trainings gave me deep knowledge about CSA and how to counsel the survivor,” she admits.
Getting to know merry Merlyn
Lavezares, Northern Samar, Philippines
26 August 2009
Merlyn is a pastor in Christian community church in Lavezares municipality in Northern Samar. Extending assistance to children-at-risk has been part of her life, personally and professionally. Assigned by Board of Trustees of the Northern Samar Children’s Ministries Network (NSCMN) to become one of its focal persons for the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention (CSAP) Capacity-Building Partnership Project with Stairway Foundation, Merlyn participated in several trainings held at the Stairway campus in Puerto Galera, Mindoro Oriental. The trainings prepared her to become a CSAP resource person. Currently, she has been conducting CSAP sessions for the elementary and high school students, teachers and parents of Lavezares. “Through Stairway’s trainings, I was able to deepen my knowledge about CSAP,” she remarks. Taking pride in being a licensed foster parent and, thus, authorized to become a temporary parent for children-at risk, she relates that she has four children-at-risk under her care. Prior to becoming a CSAP resource person, she has been conducting sessions on child trafficking under the direction of the Philippine Children Ministries Network (PCMN), and has handled a case of child sexual abuse (CSA) where the child was facilitated for adoption. “However, through SFI CSAP trainings, I learned how to relate with the CSA survivor. The trainings gave me deep knowledge about CSA and how to counsel the survivor,” she admits. “In conducting CSAP sessions, my topical line up depends on the type of participants,” she conveys. “With children, I emphasize naming the parts of the  body, touching rules, types of touches, the rights of the child, and where to report an abuse. With adults, I start with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the forms of child sexual abuse, and where to report cases.” Merlyn made simple cards to use for her CSAP sessions, especially when there are ‘brownouts’ (electric power outage). --------------------------------- Children really learn to protect themselves through the touching rules, she says. “My own children even ask ‘Ganun ba talaga mama? Mali na hawakan kami kung saan-saan? (It is really like that mother? It is wrong for anyone to just touch us indiscriminately?) ’ I would say ‘yes’.”  ----------------------------------------- Merlyn with her two daughters. ----------------------------------------- Merlyn executes NSCMN’s CSAP plans on a voluntary basis. Without a regular job and using her personal resources in conducting CSAP sessions, she had to venture into selling “embotido” around the neighborhood to be able to provide for her family’s needs. She relates that her secret in being a dedicated CSAP resource person is her supportive husband. “I am able to go outside the house to perform duties as a pastor as well as implement our network’s (NSCMN) plans for the prevention of child sexual abuse because my husband is able to take care of the house. He cleans and cooks for our six children as I am often away,” she intimates with a naughty smile. Asked about her plans, she says that she will be reaching out to more audiences using the CSAP animation films produced by Stairway. “We need to train pastors and local duty bearers, particularly the local police, social workers and school principals on CSAP. We would like to work towards the reactivation of Barangay Child Protection Council, as we had been given permission by the local head of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to do so,” she concludes. |
