Pushcart classes help break gang chain

CAVITE CITY, Philippines (CNN) -- At 16, Rhandolf Fajardo reflects on his former life as a gang member.

Efren Peñaflorida's Dynamic Teen Company offers Filipino youth an alternative to gangs through education.

 "My gang mates were the most influential thing in my life," says Fajardo, who joined a gang when he was in sixth grade. "We were pressured to join."

He's not alone. In the Philippines, teenage membership in urban gangs has surged to an estimated 130,000 in the past 10 years, according to the Preda Foundation, a local human rights charity.

"I thought I'd get stuck in that situation and that my life would never improve," recalls Fajardo. "I would probably be in jail right now, most likely a drug addict -- if I hadn't met Efren."

Efren Peñaflorida, 28, also was bullied by gangs in high school. Today, he offers Filipino youth an alternative to gang membership through education. Vote now for the CNN Hero of the Year

"Gang members are groomed in the slums as early as 9 years old," says Peñaflorida. "They are all victims of poverty."

For the past 12 years, Peñaflorida and his team of teen volunteers have taught basic reading and writing to children living on the streets. Their main tool: A pushcart classroom.

Stocked with books, pens, tables and chairs, his Dynamic Teen Company recreates a school setting in unconventional locations such as the cemetery and municipal trash dump.

Peñaflorida knows firsthand the adversity faced by these children. Born into a poor family, he lived in a shanty near the city dump site. But he says he refused to allow his circumstances to define his future.

"Instead of being discouraged, I promised myself that I would pursue education," he recalls. "I will strive hard; I will do my best."

In high school, Peñaflorida faced a new set of challenges. Gang activity was rampant; they terrorized the student body, vandalized the school and inducted members by forcing them to rape young girls, he says.

"I felt the social discrimination. I was afraid to walk down the street."

KidsGrow-A-Tree

This is it !!!

We started planting trees here while others look for more location. it's nice to be a part of greening the globe. At our early age, we are given the responsibility of doing our share.

It's a complete success...
With thumbs up, ICL School Kid Scouts on the way back to the campsite
"We planted trees together with other scouting troops from various schools in Camarines Norte.This is our humble share for the green environment we live in, which others must follow without let up."

In the eyes of a child...

A child was asked to write a book report on the entire Bible.
This is amazing and brought tears of laughter to my eyes.
I wonder how often we take for granted that children understand what we are teaching???

Through the eyes of a child:

The Children's Bible in a Nutshell

In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one, but I think He must be a lot older than that.

Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did.

Then God made the world.
He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden......Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars.

Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel.

Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something..

One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.

Restoring normalcy for children in aftermath of tropical storm Ondoy

PASIG CITY, Philippines, 19 October 2009 – The flood waters that still inundate much of the Philippines' capital have become black with waste and garbage, a daily reminder of tropical storm Ondoy, which struck the country on 26 September.

Show our support...

Efren was nominated to CNN Hero because of his work with children at the slums of Cavite. At 16, together with his friends, Efren put up the Dynamic Teen Company that reaches out to teens, instilling in them the spirit of volunteerism, as they teach young children basic reading, writing and personal hygiene.

I miss my books

© World Vision 2008
by Karen Rivera

MANILA -- “I miss my books. I lost them in the flood, along with my notebooks and papers,” says 7-year-old and first grader Jerome.

Before the typhoon Ketsana struck, Jerome and sister Jasmin, 11, would pour over a book after school. “I teach him to read because he is really interested to learn. We would read children’s stories,” says Jasmin.

Since they moved in to a classroom in Bautista Elemetary School in Marikina, the siblings haven not been able to resume their reading lessons.

The classroom which they share with 30 people had been emptied out of books and teaching materials to make room for some 600 families that sought temporary shelter at the school.

Jerome’s family came into the evacuation center a day after the flood swept their home away. In the midst of the confusion and panic that ensued with the rising floodwaters, the siblings were unable to secure their things. They eluded death by clinging to on to their grandmother who swam them to safety.

While surviving the flood has been one harrowing experience for the siblings, getting back to their old life, is another thing.

“I miss school and my friend Wilmar. I don’t know what happened to him. I want to go back to school soon,” Jerome says wistfully.

It might be a while before Jerome would resume his studies since his school was also flooded in. But he may be able to take up his reading again in a World Vision’s Child Friendly Space (CFS) at the evacuation center.

As part of World Vision’s disaster response to Typhoon Ketsana, 5 Child Friendly Spaces have been established in Marikina, Pasig , Cainta, Pasig and Angono – areas that have suffered the brunt of Typhoon Ketsana.

Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) are safe structured places where children can play, interact with other children and learn basic skills to help them cope with their experience following a disaster or conflict through games, songs and dances.

It aims to provide psychosocial support to 1850 children to help them gain a sense of routine and normality.

Philippines: World Vision aims to reach 100,000 people in flood-hit Manila

By World Vision staff


World Vision is aiming to meet the urgent needs of 100,000 survivors of massive flooding in Manila caused by Typhoon Ketsana.

Staff with the humanitarian agency have already been distributing relief packs by helicopter in partnership with the Philippine Coastguard. They saw scores of families trapped on roof tops and in desperate need of assistance after being stuck for hours without food or water in the pouring rain.

World Vision is now aiming to target four of the worst affected areas of Manila (Marikina, Cainta, Rizal, Pasig) which are home to thousands of poor settlement dwellers based near rivers and in low-lying areas. Many of these homes have lost everything as they were flooded up to their ceilings, and inundated with mud, sludge and garbage.

The agency needs US$2 million to pay for the planned response and is appealing to donors both around the world and in the Philippines to assist. Some large Philippine businesses have already pledged support.

UNICEF Corner

A young environmentalist encourages positive change in the Philippines

SAN PABLO CITY, Philippines, 24 April 2007 – Fourteen-year-old Maia Azores loves to dance and play sports just like any other teenager, but what makes her stand out from other young Filipinos is her passion for environmental activism.

Teaching Kids Time Management

Teaching kids time management (The Philippine Star) Updated September 22, 2009 12:00 AM

“Setting clear priorities on how they’ll spend their days teaches kids the discipline of time management,” says Janice Villanueva, active mom to Reese.

MANILA, Philippines - It’s always good to start them young — especially when teaching them how to manage their time.

By teaching children the values they need to learn early on — particularly, the important lesson of time management — parents prepare their kids for a lifetime of self-discipline which will no doubt help them in their adulthood.

“Setting clear priorities on how they’ll spend their days teaches kids the discipline of time management,” says Janice Villanueva, active mom to Coby, Reese, and Zac. She adds that during the school year, she wants the kids to put their studies as top priority. “For our kids to focus on this, we do not allow them to watch TV or play on the computer or their PSP during weekdays. During weekends, however, they are free to do whatever they want so they can relax and recharge in time for the next week of classes. We also try to squeeze in some sports activities on weekends so they also get some physical activity.”