Community Work with Street Children in the Philippines

  Philippines

• Visayas: 
Tacloban City

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks and 9-12 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: 2 - 12 week placements throughout the year

Description: Be part of it with i-to-i!
Our goal is to achieve 400 years of combined volunteering all over the world by the end of 2008.

So far we have achieved 325 years which when broken down means we achieved the following:

- Over 5500 children cared for on our community projects around the world
- A minimum of 13,000 children and adults taught English in schools and community centers
- Hundreds of animals protected including Turtles, Pandas, Elephants, Monkeys and more
- At least 80 homes and structures built for families and communities in need
- More than 8000 trees planted which are enough trees to offset the CO2 emissions of over 2,000 cars

Looking for something different?

The Philippines has a reputation for being travel at its most intense. Unapologetically chaotic, even the archipelago itself looks messy; like a handful of stones haphazardly thrown into the ocean. You'll wonder how they manage to fit so much disorganized chaos on one group of small islands, until you realize there are 7000 of them! Persevere though because beneath the frenzy lies perhaps the most beautiful country in the world. Unfortunately what you'll also find is the country's chronic poverty problem. Our partner project in Tacloban exists to house and teach children living on the streets of the city who often turn to 'glue sniffing' to suppress hunger pains and who desperately need your compassion and love.

Find out more about i-to-i, watch their short video here: http://video.i-to-i.com/site-videos/video.html

Highlights: What were the highlights of your trip that you couldn't wait to tell your friends about?

"Working with the boys at the holding center - teaching them and getting to know them! Also really enjoyed the excursions and where I was staying - love Ormoc city!" (Megan Tinslay)

Currently, the Department of Social Welfare is constructing a facility to house and teach the street children. Most children who have settled on the streets have families of their own but turn to the streets in search of food. Glue sniffing, known as "rugby" in Tacloban, is a common addiction amongst the street children who turn to this drug to suppress their hunger pains. Volunteers can assist the Social Welfare Office in helping to give the simple things these children lack in life, such as compassion, trust, love, and food.

Qualifications: Volunteers at this project should have a genuine love of children and young people. Although you do not require any special skills, any experience working with children or young people would be valuable. Volunteers must be able to use their initiative and be motivated to work without guidance. Volunteers should be patient, compassionate, resourceful and imaginative.

Cost in US$: US$ 990.00 for 2 weeks, US$ 150.00 for every week thereafter

* Food: Breakfast and dinner

* Airport Pickup: Included on arrival date. Ask us for details if you're arriving early!

* Training: In-country orientation and Online TEFL course

* Support: Pre-departure helpdesk, Local in-country team and 24hr emergency support

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: The projects that we work with offer valuable support to children or young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, many of whom are street children. While many of the young people at the projects have access to education provided by the government, they are usually unable to benefit from it fully due to the many complexities in their lives. The support that our volunteers provide allows many of the young people to improve their English skills, which will create more opportunities for them, and to learn about a new culture. Often, the staff members do not have time to give attention to all of the children, and they will really benefit from spending time and doing creative activities with volunteers.

Age Range: 18 years old and above

This Program is open to World Wide Participants.

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network

i-to-i Meaningful Travel's Mission Statement: Founded in 1994, i-to-i is an award-winning organization providing unique opportunities for you to travel, work and live abroad. Thousands of travelers aged 18 to 80 have joined our volunteer vacations and over 15,000 have learned to Teach English as a Foreign Language through our tailor-made TEFL courses. With over 300 projects on 4 continents, you can join the worldwide i-to-i volunteer community on an extended adventure in areas such as teaching, community development, sports coaching, conservation, building or internships in tourism, marketing, journalism, or health.

Year Founded: 1994