An article on the Children and Youth Program of Open Heart Foundation in Biñan, Laguna

 David Francisco Dionisio

“Magbebenta po ako ng lumpia” (I would be selling vegetable spring rolls).

That is what Jerick Mateo says, after being asked what he would be doing if he never got assistance for his studies. In his elementary days, Jerick’s mother, Leah, would wake up at three in the morning daily to cook these spring rolls for her son to sell. Now 21 years old, Jerick is a machine operator at Adam International Printing Company in Laguna, thanks to the Child and Youth Program (CYP) of the non-government Organization, Open Heart Foundation. Because Open Heart sent him to a vocational training academy, he was able to land a job at the plant and is now able to support his parents and siblings. 

Ms. Luzviminda Corrales, mother of another CYP beneficiary, says of her 15-year old daughter, Angelu: “Yung anak ko dati, mahiyain, ngayon hindi na. Naging presidente siya ng klase niya, naging lider-lider din sa mga group work niya. Dati po supladita siya, laging nakasimangot. Ngayon nagbago na siya, nagpaparticipate siya sa klase, ganon” (My daughter used to be very shy, but now she isn’t. She became president of her class, she was the leader for her school group works. She used to be unfriendly and she always had a frown on her face, but now she’s changed).

Open Heart was founded by American Robert LeGore 21 years ago after stopping by the Ermita area in Manila to take a look at antique watches. He was so taken by the smiles of the street children there – smiles in spite of poverty – that he decided to set up a non-profit in the country to serve children like them. Ms. Visimar Mimay, a coordinator of Open Heart Foundation identifies the CYP as the organization’s core program, with its focus on educational sponsorship for students. Beginning with 10 street children in Manila in 1992, the program has now served about 1,400 children nationwide and has sent at least 600 underprivileged but deserving children to college. Apart from the financial support the program provides, seminars that help develop the child are also held and psychosocial support in the form of counseling services are made available to the beneficiaries, making for a holistic approach to assisting those in need.

Some great success stories of graduates from the program include a former street child who was able to graduate from college with a degree in social work. “He ended up working with us here in Open Heart for a while, and is now working with Children International,” Mimay shares. “We also had a Mangyan student who took up agriculture and is now working with the government. Our alumni are now managers, social workers, government employees, teachers, call center agents, IT professionals, human resource personnel, engineers and many more. We’ve sent kids to colleges like Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, College of Saint Benilde, Polytechnic University of The Philippines, Technological University of the Philipines, Datamex, Trimex, several colleges in Laguna and others. We’ve had a lot of kids go abroad as well. We have alumni in Qatar, Kuwait, Indonesia and Singapore.”

One of the more exciting projects that CYP is involved in is the Group Home. Open Heart rents out group housing for 19 of their scholars studying in College of Saint Benilde in Malate, Manila. “Kami ang nagbabayad ng lahat, maliban na lang sa pagkain, na provided for by parents. It is successful because our students don’t drop out. Nakakatulong ang group home setup kasi nagkakaroon ng camaraderie sa pagitan ng mga estudyante, may mga tutorial sa pagitan ng mga scholar, winewelcome ng mga senior ang mga freshmen, at nag-increase din and confidence nila dahil nasa grupo sila” (We pay for everything, except for food, which is provided for by their parents. The program is successful because our students don’t drop out. The Group Home setup works because camaraderie is developed among the scholars, they tutor one another and the seniors welcome the freshmen openly. Their confidence also increases because they’re in a group).

As CYP is associated with youth related assistance, it also helps a network of child day care centers by funding their operations. They provide books and train the day care teachers on children’s rights, which the teachers pass on to their students’ parents. “Natuturuan din ang mga parents kung paano makitungo sa anak,” (Parents also learn about relating better with their children),” says teacher Lorie Jane Gonzales, “at bumabalik ang mga parents dahil sa curriculum (parents come back for the curriculum).” These subsidized day care centers teach syllabication, counting, vowels and consonants, the alphabet, some science, and values formation to their students. The program has been highly successful as many of these preschoolers pass the tests for star sections in bigger schools later on, and are chosen to join academic contests. “Ang edukasyon ay hayaan nating paputulin ang linya ng kahirapan,” Ms. Grace Zonio, a preschool teacher supported by CYP explains, “humuhubog ako ng tao na magiging lider na aming pamayanan.” (Let us allow education to stop the cycle of poverty. I am forming children who will be future leaders of our community).

On future dreams for CYP’s beneficiaries, Mimay hopes: “Mas lalong dumami ang mga beneficiaries na tinutulungan namin. Dream ko na we go down to Mindanao at mapalawak namin yung mga services na binibigay namin sa mga present beneficiaries namin. At sana makakuha kami ng mga private or foreign sponsors, that they trust us to do the groundwork.” (I hope that the number of our beneficiaries increases. It is my dream that we go to Mindanao and expand our services to present beneficiaries. And I hope that we can get private or foreign sponsors, that they can trust us to do the groundwork).

If these dreams do come true, it is certain that more children will have the chance to receive an education, find employment and build a better life for themselves and for their families. Perhaps, that may mean, there might be fewer vegetable spring roll vendors around. But that seems like a small price to pay.

David Francisco Dionisio is one of the 14 volunteers who joined the CODE-NGO Young Writers Summer Camp in 2013. He graduated with a degree in Communications (honorable mention) from Ateneo de Manila University in 2013. He currently works as Selections Coordinator for the Philippine arm of United World Colleges (UWC), an educational movement and international non-profit. The organization aims to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. Every year, the program sends students to study abroad, on scholarship, and represent The Philippines in some of its 14 international colleges located across 6 continents. Find out more about David’s work at www.uwc.org. He greatly enjoyed his experience writing for Open Heart Foundation.