The Kuya Centre for Street Children is located in Quezon City, Metro Manila in the Philippines. UNICEF (2016) reports that 1.8 million children in the country, more than 1% of its entire population, are “abandoned or neglected.” With most street kids being male, the Kuya Centre caters for boys between the ages of seven and fifteen. Girls are accepted in emergency situations and transferred to more appropriate facilities within a few days. Currently, the centre is called home by 30 young boys who were orphaned or abandoned. In a few cases some young boys have run away from home, however, where possible they were returned to their family.
The children in the Kuya Centre miss out on the things we take for granted in Australia, like education, food, shelter and someone to love and care for them and keep them safe. Many enter the centre feeling desperately hopeless. The centre offers the young boys the opportunity to take part in many programs and choose from a range of educational options. Regular schooling is offered to those of normal school age and attainment, accelerated education to older boys with low attainment levels while evening classes are held for young adults.
The boys are surrounded by role models including Marist Brothers and lay staff, some of whom were past students. At AMS, we recently learned of one past student who lived his childhood collecting recyclable plastic and paper on the streets before enrolling into the Kuya Centre. Subsequently, he graduated from school before going on to complete a degree in pathology and later medicine. He is now the centre’s on call doctor.
Education is the key to alleviating the future path out of poverty for these young boys. If you would like further information on AMS’s work in the Philippines or to support the Kuya Centre visit: www.australianmaristsolidarity.org.au