The Westernian Advocate DevCom-Magazine Von Joven Kristian Gardiano Through a Childs Lens How UNICEF finds hope

amidst the ruins of child abuse Youve always seen them in the daily news; the reports display their helpless faces. Youve actually heard their failing voices; in early death they live. Youve even smelled their rotting odors in your jeepney ride this morning; and through leftover foods they define survival. But did you care? No. Did you mind to help? Not even a centavo. The hec your senses failed. !ay"e youre getting old. Here in the Philippines man! are reall! getting older "eca#se o$ sel$-made "lindness dea$m#te condition and nasal $ail#re to sense the plight o$ o#r children toda! % diseases &hich are the hardest to c#re' Arg#a"l! constant enemies o$ li$e s#ch as povert! h#nger child la"or and tra$$ic(ing are )#ite managea"le "#t the great pro"lem lies on the lac( o$ heart to help "! almost all o$ men alive' *#t the &orld is still (ind &hen it gave "irth to +nited ,ations Children-s .#nd /+,0C1.2' 3ince then there is hope' Hope $or these little $ragile angels' Issues 0n 4565 governments aro#nd the glo"e promised all children the same rights "! adopting the +nited ,ation /+,2 Convention on the 7ights o$ the Child' These rights are "ased on &hat a child needs in order to s#rvive gro& participate and $#l$il their potential' Ho&ever these rights are denied ever! da!' The vo&s are no longer g#aranteed' Millions o$ children are d!ing 8#st $rom preventa"le diseases' Millions more do not have access to ed#cation' Adding to the pile are another millions &ho are deprived to having the "asic necessities li(e $ood shelter clean &ater and clothing'

More and more children in the Philippines are "ecoming victims o$ a"#se violence and e9ploitation' :o# pro"a"l! (ne& it "#t in !o#r de$ense !o# &ill sa! ;!o#-re al&a!s not in$ormed'- What-s alarming tho#gh is that the n#m"er o$ children-at-ris( is signi$icantl! gro&ing ann#all!' Worsening the a$orementioned perennial pro"lems is !o#r ignorance and sel$ishness' 7eports sho&ed that nearl! 4'< million children do not have "irth doc#ments' A"sence o$ these means children-s deprivation to "asic health ed#cational and protection services there$ore ma(ing them increasingl! v#lnera"le to di$$erent $orms o$ a"#se and maltreatment' *#t i$ !o# thin( that-s alread! all it does not stop there !et' Despite recent economic gains =>'6 percent o$ the pop#lation still live "elo& the povert! line' As s#re as the s#nset povert! is li(e a ghost that (eeps ha#nting man! children p#shing them to &or( $or their $amilies' D#e to this child la"or remains a concern % "#t no concrete action has "een done to address this pro"lem' *#t the gravest part is (illing and maiming o$ children "! doing nothing? "! even not "eing a$$ected "! this cr#el scenario' 0t-s li(e the child protection monitoring s!stem o$ the co#ntr! &hich is o$ten either a"sent or severel! de$icient? plans are &ell-laid "#t there-s no e9ec#tion' Ho&ever i$ !o# are ca#ght #na&are o$ this there is something le$t that &e sho#ld "e grate$#l a"o#t' As o$ press time man! net&or(s and alliances $or child protection spearheaded "! +,0C1. are contin#o#sl! "eing esta"lished ens#ring a more protective environment $or children in need' *#t ho& do the! do it@ Actions +,0C1. is an agenc! o$ the +, devoted to serving the &orld-s children' 0t is (no&n glo"all! as the &orld-s leading child rights advocac! organization as it implements programmes

covering ed#cation health and n#trition H0V and A0D3 prevention and child protection' All in all creating a &orld $it $or children is their "iggest mandate' :o# might have alread! enco#ntered one or t&o o$ its mem"ers &hen !o# happened to &al( inside the mall in the par( or even in the ch#rch' And !o# might have "#mped into their donation "o9es' :es +,0C1. Philippines has h#ndreds o$ people nation&ide &or(ing to promote and protect the rights o$ children' *#t &hom do the! &or( &ith to "#ild that child$riendl! sanct#ar!@ 0n order to cater to all these activities the! have "een eliciting partnerships &ith the government non-governmental organizations &omen-s organizations !o#th and religio#s gro#ps good&ill am"assadors and even individ#al donors' The! are also receiving signi$icant help $rom the private sectors &ho contri"#te $#nds or in-(ind s#pport to their service' 3ee "! not (no&ing that this (ind o$ organization e9ists have 8#st proven that !o#-re idle' Ane o$ the nota"le &or(s o$ this organization is its s#pport $or massive advocac! and lo""!ing activities that contri"#ted to the passage o$ the J#venile J#stice and Wel$are Act' More so other developments it has har"o#red are the esta"lishment o$ more Child Protection +nits investigation st#dios and specialized co#rts to help victims o$ child a"#se and e9ploitation' .or children in con$lict areas the! provide "asic social health and ps!chological services "! organizing !o#th gro#ps to "e children and peace advocates' The organization also s#pports assessments and st#dies on child protection iss#es and helps strengthen data collection monitoring and reporting s!stems' Aren-t these activities something to "e tr#l! pro#d o$@ :et +,0C1. does not stop doing "#siness &ith "#sinesses? no& it is on its &a! to&ards more innovative means' 3ome o$ its &orth! corporate partners are 3tar"#c(s &hich la#nched 3par(hope a program adopting "aranga!s to assist earl! childhood care and needs? Johnson and Johnson &hich sponsored training and literac! classes on *asic 1mergenc! A"stetric and

,e&"orn Care to <4 mid&ives and BCC mothers? 3M 3#permalls and Procter and Gam"le &hich p#rs#ed &ater and sanitation programs in less privileged schools and comm#nities'An the contrar! do these ma(e an! impact@ Impact .or over >C !ears no& it has "een a good $ort#ne $or +,0C1. to see that their goals are act#all! moving head&a!' 0n $act it can no& s#stain li$e-changing and even li$e-saving programs $or more and more children in need' And the! do these all thro#gh the help o$ the champions' The! are neither heroes nor $amo#s people D 8#st champions $or children' Ardinar! people li(e !o#ths shoppers "!standers and even !o# can "e part o$ the leag#e' ;Champions $or Children- +,0C1.-s committed $#nding program is a comm#nit! o$ individ#als &ho have ta(en a stand $or the rights and &el$are o$ .ilipino children' Their reg#lar contri"#tions ena"le them to $inance and s#stain the ed#cational needs o$ the "ene$iciaries' ,ot onl! can it "e $o#nd in Metro Manila this $#nding s!stem is also rolling o#t in *atangas province' Committed to help Dr' 1vel!n T' 7a"ino +niversit! o$ *atangas 3ocial 3cience Department Head signed on and pla!ed her genero#s part' 3he "ecame a reg#lar +,0C1. donor and no& "elongs to the ran( o$ champions' E+,0C1. has this program $or children to "e protected and ed#cated' Act#all! there are +,0C1. sta$$ and mem"ers that distri"#te $orms $or the donors' 3o may mga pledges ang mga donor at i"a#i"a $yun' The! can contri"#te thro#gh their Visa card credit card and to other +,0C1. "ranches all over the Philippines F artic#lated Dr' 7a"ino &hen she &as as(ed a"o#t the donation process' This caring comm#nit! has painted a ne& hope in man! children-s $aces? so m#ch gratit#de and 8o! it has "ro#ght to their lives' With their monthl! pledges and $inancial assistance $or some p#tting an end to child a"#se and violence is ne9t to realit!' E %ahat ng donations ay

napapapunta sa mga "ata $or health and n#trition programs and ed#cational pro8ects as &ell F she $#rthered' Across the co#ntr! +,0C1.-assisted comm#nities are gro&ing in n#m"er' Ho&ever onl! $e& have discerned its impact and its importance &hich ca#sed some minimal dra&"ac(s in the s!stem' 3ometimes the mone! collected $rom this $#nd is not eno#gh to give children relie$s d#ring disasters and critical sit#ations' *#t since +,0C1. has giant "#siness partners this glitch is onl! a short-time stitch' Altho#gh onl! $e& *atang#eGos have learned a"o#t this pro8ect Dr' 7a"ino-s step is a good start' Her stance to help incl#ding her $ight together &ith other champions is reall! a stead! and relia"le so#rce o$ change &hen pooled in one' E0 love to give and share' And &hen it comes to involvement isa sa mga Political 3cience grad#ates natin dito sa #niversit! ay active mem"er na ng +,0C1. F she smiled' Defying age 0 g#ess !o# have learned something ne& this time' Aging is a sel$-made condition' :o#-re not act#all! "lind not even dea$ or m#te' :o# 8#st $ailed to see hear and smell the callo#s e$$ects o$ child a"#se % the r#ins the cr#el death and the "ro(en &ings o$ man! angels &ho live in the dar(est alle! o$ violence' With these impairments the onl! antidote this &orld has to give is the potion o$ love s&eetened &ith scent o$ generosit! and real service' Ane spra! is an action deserved' Ane step is a mission preserved' And i$ "od! and time permit this to happen there &ill "e reasons no& $or more children to cast a&a! their $ears and pose their smiles again'