For more than 25 years, the Kuya Centre in the Philippines has been helping young people living on the streets of metropolitan Manila transform their lives.
These young people are truly living on the margins. They may have been abandoned, orphaned or are runaways that are disconnected from their families. Others are living with their low-paid families and are at-risk of becoming ‘working children’.
Problems they face include drug addiction, sexual exploitation and diseases like HIV/AIDS. And there is little chance that they will receive any education, even in the public school system.
Kuya Centre for Street Children was founded by a group of religious communities, including the Marist and De La Salle Brothers, and the Religious of Our Lady for the Missions (RNDM). It is operated by members of the local community, including laity, and paid and volunteer staff.
It exists to provide a safe place where these displaced young people are protected and offered opportunities to develop life skills, re-establish their self-worth and dignity, and become respected members of the community.
The centre offers a range of programs, which are transforming the lives of its clientele, including family counselling, financial assistance for education and skills training, and how to generate a sustainable income.
Each week, almost 200 students visit the centre for tutorial sessions, which include literacy and numeracy. 30 children undertake the life skills program each year, which includes efforts to reconnect young people with their families. At least 35 children receive financial support to attend mainstream schools and 30 women receive training and micro-finance to start their own business.
The centre has teams of specialised street educators, social workers and volunteers to engage with children living on the streets.
The Marist Brothers and the local Kuya Centre community celebrated the centre’s 25th anniversary on February 13.
Marist Solidarity supports the Kuya Centre, thanks to the generosity of Australian donors in our Marist network.
Please donate to Marist Solidarity and help us support the Kuya Centre’s goals and ongoing operating costs, which are transforming the lives of young people living on the margins of society in The Philippines.