| WHAT WE DO: | ||
| + | Child Development & Education: Social development, child health, education support program. |
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| + | Health and Nutrition: Training leaders in health education, sanitation and hygiene, under-nutrition feeding program, deworming distribution. |
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| + | Micro Enterprise Development: Skills training, forming savings groups and livelihood opportunities. |
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| + | Partnership Development: Partnerships with individuals, universities, organizations, private companies and churches to send local and international volunteers and teams to FH communities. |
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| + | Samaritan Strategy and Disciple Nations Alliance: Equipping churches and community leaders with the Biblical worldview to do holistic ministry. |
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| + | Disaster Relief and Development: Providing relief response in disaster situations and collaboration for disaster preparedness. Reconstruction, livelihood, organizing people’s groups and disaster preparedness. |
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For mothers like Elvie Gigante, simply finding enough food for their children can be an everyday struggle.
Elvie has eight children, two of them under the age of five, and with her husband in prison she has no stable income. For her, the feeding program at Towerville Assembly of God in partnership with FH has been a way to make ends meet.
Similarly, a few weeks ago Salve Pablo’s daughter Julibee was showing signs of malnutrition. She was underweight and had little appetite. Now, with daily meals at the church, Julibee is gaining weight and her appetite is improving. She is also happier and less agitated. The children aren’t the only ones benefiting from the program though. The mothers are enjoying a Bible study and health lessons with their meal. Topics like nutrition, first aid, and dealing with infection have helped them to care for their families and given them new confidence. Getting to fellowship with other mothers and get out of the house for has been encouraging to them as well.
Programs like this one in Towerville and Bulacan are helping children to reach their potential and helping families to grow stronger. The mothers are learning better ways to care for their children and being fed spiritually as well as physically. Still, when Flordeliza Rivera, mother of two year old John Ismael was asked about the program, she replied simply, “It is very good, because it gives us food, and makes our children healthy.” And that’s just how simple and effective it can be.
+ FH HISTORY:
FH came to the Philippines in 1978 in response to the crisis of the Vietnamese refugees who came to the Philippines as a result of the Vietnam War. FH assisted the refugee families through the Child Sponsorship Program (CSP). When the Philippine government adopted the refugees and settled them in Morong, Bataan, sponsorship was transferred to indigent Filipino children. The name Child Sponsorship Program was later changed to Child Development Program. Then other programs were integrated with CDP to achieve wholistic development. It was incorporated at the Security and Exchange Commission in August 1992. FH/Philippines Inc. is a licensed agency of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
+ Philippines HISTORY:
Europeans, led by Ferdinand Magellan, first visited the islands, which were named for Philip II of Spain, in 1521. Spanish control remained secure until the 19th century, when resentment against Spanish injustices brought about a movement for independence. The Spanish American War ended Spanish rule in 1898, but to nationalists' bitter disappointment, control of the islands was transferred to the U.S. An armed revolt against U.S. rule was effectively crushed, but the question of Philippine independence remained a burning issue until 1934, when the internally self-governing Commonwealth of the Philippines was established.
In 1935 the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth. Manuel Quezon was elected president and was tasked with preparing the country for independence after a 10-year transition. In 1942 the islands fell under Japanese occupation during World War II, and US forces and Filipinos fought together during 1944-45 to regain control. On 4 July 1946 the Republic of the Philippines attained its independence. The 20-year rule of Ferdinand Marcos ended in 1986, when a "people power" movement in Manila ("EDSA 1") forced him into exile and installed Corazon Aquino as president. Her presidency was hampered by several coup attempts, which prevented a return to full political stability and economic development.
Fidel Ramos was elected president in 1992 and his administration was marked by greater stability and progress on economic reforms. In 1992, the US closed its last military bases on the islands. Joseph Eestrada was elected president in 1998, but was succeeded by his vice-president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in January 2001 after Estrada's stormy impeachment trial on corruption charges broke down and another "people power" movement ("EDSA 2") demanded his resignation. Macapagal-Arroyo was elected to a six-year term as president in May 2004. Decades of Muslim insurgency in the southern Philippines have led to a peace accord with one group and an ongoing cease-fire and peace talks with another.
+ FACTS:
+ Philippines has rich natural resources with 7,100 islands, 126 people groups and about 170 spoken dialects.
+ Philippines is the sixth most populous country in Asia and nearly half (47%) of the population is below 19 years old.
+ Moderate malnutrition with 31.8 percent of school age children are underweight, places children at risk of delayed cognitive and psychomotor development and of increased immunity.
+ For every three Filipino schooled children, one child experiences abuse.
+ There are about four million child laborers and more than half are involved in abusive or dangerous work.
+ Facts From: UNICEF, ILO, CIA World fact book and NCSB Phils.
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