Millions of street children in the world constitute a silent but constantly growing minority. Some of the children are orphans but most of them are forced away from their families because of violence and various kinds of abuse in their home. Drugs, gangs and crimes are hard to avoid on the street; it easily becomes a normal part of their daily life.

Stairway serves as a home for children who have long been on the streets. We work with street children who have serious health problems, familial problems, drug dependence, are in conflict with the law, and have been victims of physical and/or sexual abuse.   We also accommodate street children with TB to give them the needed medical care to heal.

Each year in June, we invite up to 14 boys to become a part of Stairway’s 10-month program. The age range for these boys is 10-14 years old. While here, the children are engaged in non-formal education, psychosocial interventions, creative therapy, livelihood skills training, sports and recreation, and ‘Youth for Change’ camps.

We have our own school which is approved by the Philippine Department of Education. When the boys arrive, they are assessed for intellectual capacities and learning comprehension. Depending on the results of the assessment, they are placed either in a group for basic learning skills or a group for more advanced learning skills. The class sizes are small, allowing for individual attention and individualized pacing for learning. Class subjects include reading, writing, arithmetic, English, Tagalog, science, geography, history, and computer skills. It is amazing to see how much our children progress with their education in the 10 months that we have them. Many of them come in without having received any education, and leave with basic skills in reading, writing, and math.

Psychosocial intervention includes psychological assessments before arrival and again before graduating from the program. The information gathered from the initial assessment provides invaluable information that will be used to create treatment plans for each child. Psychosocial issues are dealt with in individual and group therapy sessions. Monthly progress reports and case conferences are completed to help evaluate the progress of each child. As the children progress psychologically and emotionally, we watch them grow into more mature children who are better able to handle the after effects of years of trauma from living on the streets.

Creative therapy takes form through dance, music, art, and theatre.  We utilize creative expression to stimulate learning, to provide a constructive means for self-expression, and to serve as a medium for the release of pent-up tensions and emotions. Each year, we are amazed at the hidden talents of the children that enter into our program. The boys come in with little exposure to the arts, and leave having finished many paintings, performing concerts with percussion instruments and guitars, performing choreographed dance numbers for celebrations, and performing a variety of theatre pieces for camps and community members.

Another form of creative expression takes place through our livelihood skills training program. The children learn how to create a variety of handicrafts such as woven bracelets, stone jewelry, dream catchers and tie-dye shirts. With the making of crafts, the children are able to earn money that they take with them when they graduate from the program. Stairway buys the products from the children and sells them in our store. As the children learn these new skills, they are tasked with teaching other children these skills when we host our ‘Youth for Change’ camps. We are thrilled to see the huge boost in self esteem from the Stairway children when they teach others.

Sports and recreation are a big part of the programming at Stairway. The children enter into our program malnourished and with a variety of health issues. Along with receiving basic medical and dental care, they learn a variety of sports and activities that help to strengthen their bodies and minds. Common sports activities for the children are: basketball, swimming, gymnastics, volleyball, badminton, and football. The children are also actively engaged in a sailing program through a partnership with our local Yacht Club. Once the skills of basic sailing are learned, the children participate in regatta’s, often placing with top awards.

Because we are a learning resource center for children’s rights, we integrate a variety of ‘Youth for Change’ camps into our residential programming. Children from a number of international schools covering 3 different continents participate in camps together with the Stairway children and children from various indigenous communities. Each camp has an educational theme such as the environment, the Millennium Development Goals, etc., with the common thread of children’s rights woven into each chosen theme. The integration of children from all walks of life and experiences is an amazing process to watch unfold. The children are often quiet and shy in the beginning, but through shared tasks and activities, become quick friends. Many children have remarked that attending our ‘Youth for Change’ camps has been a life-changing experience. We hope so. We are counting on these children to carry-on the principles and to fight for children’s rights in their everyday lives.

Using our Residential Program as a springboard to increase our knowledge and understanding of the complexity of problems facing street children, our vision is to see not only our children, but ALL children realize their abilities, hopes, and dreams in a society which will protect and respect their rights as human beings.