April 2012
Another batch of children has graduated from Stairway’s Residential Program. We celebrated this momentous occasion with poetry, song and words of wisdom. Over the past months, we have witnessed amazing transformations in the children that went beyond all expectations. All have become well balanced children with very positive and healthy outlooks on life, and all are prepared for a new beginning outside of Stairway.
April 2012
Children who live with physical, sensory, intellectual or mental health disability are among the most stigmatized and marginalized of all of the world’s children. For three lucky young men, though, this is not their reality thanks to centers like Elsie Gaches Village, an organization which provides care and rehabilitation to children and young people with special needs. Jack, Totoy and Henry are residents from Elsie Gaches Village and what is particularly special about them is that they have been coming to Stairway Foundation every year for the past 20 years!
April 2012
Hauling a jeepney full of toys, books, art materials, fabric, furniture, paints and other assorted supplies around Metro Manila was quite a task for Birgit Lind, who is a board member of Stairway Denmark, and volunteer in Stairway Foundation. Assisted by SFI employees, Jhao Guttierrez and Jorimar Agbing, the three person team managed to complete in seven days, child friendly spaces in 16 police stations around Metro Manila, as well as SFI's new counseling room located in the Manila office.
Since 2007, Stairway began to forge a strong relationship with the National Women and Children's Police Desk office with agreements on capacity building as well as the development of child friendly spaces with the WCPD stations.
March 2012
Congratulations to SFI Graduating Scholars of 2011-2012
This year’s graduating scholars consisted of 22 high school students and 9 college students. Most of these students, SFI has supported since grade school. Of the high school graduates, one student, Jenny Rose, graduated 5th in her graduating class. Two other SFI scholars, Rochelle Bercasio and Monet Santoyas received scholarships to De La Salle University partly sponsored by ECPAT Philippines.
February 2012
Last June, about 132 children enrolled at the local school in Baclayan, a small mountain community consisting of Iraya Mangyans. However, the average attendance rate was anywhere between 20-30 students. A needs analysis revealed that the main reason for the children's absence was hunger.
With active participation from the parents, Stairway's Community Assistance Program now prepares and serves a nutritious meal for the students everyday. School attendance has more than tripled and the students are more alert and ready to learn.
February 2012
Taller and stronger than children his own age, “The Mayor” (as street children dubbed him) survived on the streets by bullying and maltreating other children.
Born in Mindinao in a Muslim ethnic group and taken to Manila at a young age, Smile (not his real name) learned very early what it felt like to be unloved and rejected. To survive on the street, he learned to beg and scavenge. He also smoked cigarettes and sniffed solvent. He was hardhearted and used his height to bully and maltreat other children. Many street children were afraid of him and dubbed him "The Mayor” because of the power he established in the streets. A year and a half ago, "The Mayor” entered in Stairway’s residential program and a tremendous transformation took place.
February 2012
One of the best forms of assessing children’s learning is through creative writing.
Children get excited about school when classes are engaging and active. In Stairway, we encourage the children to think creatively and endeavor to stimulate them and to spark their imaginations through a variety of creative activities. One such activity was a two-week creative writing session led by SFI educator, Jasmin Punio. The outcome of the two-week session was a set of 12 beautifully illustrated storybooks all written by the children themselves. To round off the session, the children brought their stories to life through the magic of puppetry.
February 2012
Globally 1 million children are exploited by the commercial sex trade each year. Film reaches the soul and ceates lasting empathy. Stairway’s third animated film, Red Leaves Falling, was screeened last February 4, 2012 at the Boston Initiative to Advance Human Rights (BITAHR). The BITAHR Film Forum was established to address the need for greater public and academic awareness of the child sexual exploitation and sex trafficking. The forum "utilizes the power of film in effectuating a movement to combat CSE and modern-day slavery." This is the second time for Red Leaves Falling to be screened at the film forum. A youth panel of survivors turned advocates (ages 18-24) that worked with the My Life, My Choice project in Boston, followed the screening. The panel was moderated by the project's founder and director since 2002, Lisa Goldblatt Grace, who has worked with vulnerable young people for 20 years.
A special thanks to Alexandra Lawrence, Tracy Paladijan, BITAHR members, and ADM Capital Foundation for helping to push the Break the Silence Campaign across boarders.
February 2012
Starting this February, Stairway’s Break the Silence partner, Support and Empower Deaf Children (SEADC), will begin regular Child Sexual Abuse and Prevention (CSAP) sessions at the Philippine School for the Deaf. The largest Deaf school in the Philippines, this is a significant breakthrough to address the urgent need to bring CSAP to Deaf students.
Spearheaded by Hailey Fox, Peace Corp volunteer for the Deaf, and SEADC, this is a great accomplishment for the Break the Silence Campaign.
February 2012
The process of interviewing children--especially very young children in sexual abuse cases can be a trying experience for both the child and the interviewer. How can we get the information we need to protect the child, without causing more emotional trauma? In 1976 two American women, Virginia Freidmann and Marcia Morgan designed and developed the anatomical Natural Dolls. Inspired by their trail blazing work, Stairway Foundation has begun production of its own version of anatomical dolls, called Safe Hands Dolls. These dolls, which consist of a set of 8-12 dolls, will be used at the Women's and Childlren's Desks where Stairway has created child friendly spaces specifically for the purpose of interviewing child victims of abuse.
Contact us for more information on how you can order your set of Safe Hand Dolls.
Programs and Activities
Break the Silence
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