Abused girls get gifts from junior chamber

CEBU, Philippines - The Junior Chamber International-Zugbuana and JCI Metro Cebu Uptown granted the wishes of two abused girls from the Pink Center of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center yesterday.

The girls, one aged 11 and the other 12, had different wishes and benefactors.

The younger girl said she wanted a new bicycle and dresses which were given by JCI Zugbuana, while the elder girl wanted a bag and dresses was provided by JCI Metro Cebu Uptown.

The two, along with the other kids of the Pink Center and their parents, were treated to a Jollibee Party yesterday.

Both JCI chapters also gave the two high school educational assistance for the younger girl and college scholarship grants for the elder girl.

For the two, their traumatic experiences did not stop them from studying well and pursuing their dreams while coping with what happened to them.

“I am happy to receive these blessings. I was not able to expect that people like them will grant wishes for us. These things (granted wishes) are my belated birthday gifts,” said the younger girl, who is in fifth grade in an elementary school in Cebu City.

She promised to do well in her studies as she is a consistent achiever in class. She wants to be a civil engineer when she grows up.

The elder girl, now in seventh grade, said she was glad with the scholarship grant that was given to her, although she has not yet thought of a course to take up in college.

Sheryl Pagapong, the chairwoman of Grant a Wish 2013, said that this is the seventh year that they have been granting the wishes of children. For the past six years she said that they have awarded the top students in Cebu, but this year they decided to focus on abused children.

“We wanted to give chance to those children with tough experiences and give them hope that even if what they’ve went through, there are still people who are willing to help them,” said Pagapong, who is a member of of JCI Zugbuana.

Rey Gudelano, the president of JCI Metro Cebu Uptown, said that aside from the psychological needs that these abused children needed, they can also help by giving them something that could make these children happy.

“We added the scholarship grant because we believe that this can be of great use in the future and that education is the foundation for personal development,” Gudelano said.

The two girls were chosen according to the criteria given by the chapter. It was Pink Center psychologist Rose Gonato who did the screening.

Gonato said that this is the first time that scholarship grants were given to selected children in the Pink Center, a center that caters to abused women and children.

She added that the number of abused children has increased yearly.

Aside from the two chapters, three other JCI chapters also have their own program including JCI Manila, JCI Ortigas and JCI Iligan Dayang Dayang, Inc. (FREEMAN)