Building Brighter Futures: ChildFund Philippines' Vision for and Beyond

ChildFund Philippines recently gathered partners from communities and civil service organizations to share milestones in supporting Filipino children and youth. (L-R: Allan Lee Nuñez, Advocacy and Child Protection Specialist of ChildFund Philippines; Carla Santos, President of The Civil Society Network for Education Reforms; Dr. Ma. Bella Ponferrada, Nutrition Specialist of UNICEF; Dr. Elizabeth Protacio-De Castro, Executive Director of the Psychosocial Support and Children's Rights Resource Center; Francis Joseph Dela Cruz. Partnership Advocacy Adviser of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities; Anand Vishwakarma, CEO and Country Director of ChildFund Philippines; and Kim Garcia, Business Development Officer of ChildFund Philippines.)

In a recent announcement, ChildFund Philippines highlighted its accomplishments and effects in assisting Filipino youth, children, and local partners, highlighting the importance of teamwork as a vital component of protecting and assisting Filipino youth.

ChildFund Philippines said during their "Connection for Impact" event that it aims to reach 5 million Filipino children and families by 2026 and every year after that. The event brought together partners and stakeholders. By doing this, it will help ChildFund International achieve its global target of reaching 100 million families and children by 2030.

A panel discussion featuring children's and youth advocacy organizations from UNICEF, The Civil Society Network for Education Reforms, The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, Psychosocial Support and Children's Rights Resource Center, and UNICEF was another highlight of the event. These organizations stressed how important it is for different sectors to work together to give Filipino children and youth a sustainable future.

"We aim to scale up our efforts to address the evolving challenges faced by Filipino children and

youth," said Anand Vishwakarma, Country Director of ChildFund Philippines. “Together with our

partners, we are driven by the urgent need to create broader and more sustainable impacts

through collaborative efforts.”

During the event held at Marco Polo Ortigas, Anand Vishwakarma, CEO and Country Director of ChildFund Philippines, announced the organization’s goal to reach 5 million Filipino children and families by 2026 and every year thereafter.

The organization supported 54 million children, youth, and adults in 2023 by reaching 21 provinces, 35 cities and municipalities, 365 barangays, and working with 11 local partners.

ChildFund focuses on education, health, skill development and livelihoods, child protection and participation, and climate action while providing help to children and youth across different stages of life.“From birth to age five, children should be healthy and secure. From six to their teenage years, they need proper education to build personal agency. By young adulthood, they should have developed

skills for employment,” said Dong Waña, Program and Sponsorship Director of ChildFund

Philippines.

With Project Advancement of Children's Inclusive Education via Virtual Engagement (ACHIEVE), ChildFund provided support to 610 learners with disabilities and created an e-learning platform that increased children's engagement. In isolated areas with little access to early children development and care, they also started community play initiatives.

Through comprehensive services and information, young people are also assisted in making decisions about their sexual and reproductive health. The organization has trained 396 young people in industry and entrepreneurship so far as part of its new Job Opportunity Building for Youth (JOB for Youth) initiative.

The Children and Youth-led Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (CYDRM) Program seeks to involve children and youth in climate action and disaster risk management as a means of promoting preparedness for disasters. ChildFund also consistently encourages transparency in disaster assistance through Project assistance Allocation Management, Distribution and Monitoring (RAMDAM), incorporating technology-based interventions and climate-adaptive technologies.

In an effort to benefit children and teenagers, the charity started the #FunOfAKind campaign, which calls on people to donate their "time, talent, and treasure" to ChildFund's programs. Through an inclusive education program called Bajau Ongka-kumpit for Access and Transition to School (BOAT School), the organization will be able to: 

● Improve learning experiences that are developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant for indigenous children in BARMM; 

● Enhance social and emotional learning for children and promote safe learning environments; 

● Withdraw more children from the worst form of child labor; 

● Involve more youth in leading their own initiatives against Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC); and 

● Rally for widespread adoption of the RAMDAM disaster response app by national agencies.

"The challenges faced by Filipino children are complex,"; said Vishwakarma." By working together – government, businesses, non-government organizations, and concerned citizens – we can achieve far better outcomes for them."

For more information on how to get involved, visit https://childfund.org.ph/get-involved/.