Rougella, 14, lives and works with her family on the streets of Manila. She helps her mother sell sampaguita leis, earning P50 to P150 a day, while looking after her younger siblings. She has been out of school for most of her young life.

Rougella’s story may just be like any other street child’s. But after learning her rights as a child from her street educator Ate Noemie from Childhope Asia Philippines, her life changed. She became an empowered, young person.

“Tinuturo nila sa amin yung pag-iwas sa droga at yung 10 karapatan ng mga bata. Nagagamit ko naman yung natutunan ko. Meron minsan na sinaktan ako ng isang matanda, ‘yung mga guwardiya inaaway kami. Sinabi ko sa kanya na wala siyang karapatang manakit ng bata,” Rougella says.

Childhope Asia Philippines, an international non-government organization, is helping street children like Rougella to know their rights, get basic education, talk about their problems, and ultimately, motivate them to give up life on the streets.

“Our main goal is to assist street children in protecting themselves. We also motivate them to give up life on streets by reuniting them with their families. Or kung wala talagang willing na alagaan sila, we refer them to temporary shelters,” Childhope program supervisor Renie-tess Martin.

STREET EDUCATORS AS HEROES

While the children are counseled into entering protective custody and rehabilitation, many still opt to remain on the streets, citing as reasons their dysfunctional families, physical or sexual abuse, domestic violence, extreme poverty, or to simply earn a living.

For this, Childhope employs street educators to make contact with the children, provide counseling and basic education through alternative learning sessions. Priority are children who have been totally abandoned or those who ran away from home and are alone on the streets without any support system. These children are exposed to the harshest living conditions and are easily driven into drug abuse and prostitution.

“Aside from teaching simplified Math, Science and literacy subjects, meron din kami on sexuality and reproductive lessons. Kasi meron nang na-sexual abuse kahit bata pa. Some already engage in multiple partnerships,” says Renie-tess, herself a former street educator.

Renie-tess attests that most of the kids are eager to learn.

“Pero meron din namang yung matagal na sa kalye, mahirap na talaga silang turuan. It’s hard to teach them lalo na maikli ang attention span nila. Minsan nga, pagdating mo dun sa area nila, naka rugby na yung iba. Hindi na nila maa-absorb ‘yung tinuturo mo. That’s why we have a social worker on hand who gives counseling,” she adds.

Childhope currently has 33 street educators, composed mostly of social workers and graduates of Education courses catering to over 1,500 street children every year. The street educators go around their assigned areas Tuesday to Saturday, from 4 p.m., sometimes beyond 9 p.m. with 10 to 15 children in a session, even helping individual children work through their problems.

Likewise, Childhope conducts workshops on reflexology and cosmetology and simple income generating skills such as balloon making, fashion accessories making, perfume making, among others.

“We also have financial education. We teach them how to save. Meron silang savings account sa Child Hope and pwede silang mag-withdraw kung talagang importante,” she adds.

It’s a long process to get them off the streets but Renie-tess is strongly motivated.

“Marami sa atin kinaiinisan ang mga street children. Pero these kids have rights. They get sick and are hungry. Even day-to-day life is stressful for them. I feel that is our responsibility to take care of other people, especially these children who need all the support they can get,” she says.