MANILA, Philippines - Left on the streets to survive on their own, streetchildren are the most vulnerable—they are among those who may not even have the slightest inkling about how it feels like to be safe and secure.
Virlanie Foundation provides a home and a family to streetchildren. It cares for children in need of special protection—those who are abandoned, abused, exploited, neglected, orphaned, and poor. The Foundation strives to build a better future for these children by “giving back their smiles”.
This year, Virlanie Foundation, through the support of runners who chose Virlanie as their beneficiary in Globe Telecom’s Run4Home project, was able to provide safer and more secure homes for its children in Aime Home for children with special needs and Elizabeth Home for girls in need of special protection.
The funds gathered from the charity fun run were used for setting up alarm systems inside Aime and Elizabeth Homes, which are, according to the regulations of Department of Social Welfare and Development, a very important requirement for “home care facilities” like Virlanie Homes.
Amor Mia Arandia, Virlanie’s Manager for Psychological Services, also expresses how the alarm systems, alongside a stable home, help former street youth, “The alarm system, signifying protection, gives the children a sense of security and safety. It reduces their feeling of anxiety towards the people who have hurt them or maltreated them in the past or towards the difficult experiences they’ve gone through. It assures them that they are now in a safe place.”
Funds gathered from Globe Run4Home were also used to provide comfort for Aime and Elizabeth Home children. Beddings, furniture appliqués, kitchen organizers and utensils were purchased for Aime and Elizabeth children’s new homes.
The two new homes will replace the two existing homes, which had long ceased to provide decent living conditions for some of the Foundation’s most vulnerable children. Few of the fixtures and fitting in the previous homes were fit to be brought to the new homes. Generous donors donated the lot and the construction but funds had to be secured from other supporters to make the new homes habitable, comfortable and secure.
“Globe Telecom lauds Virlanie Foundation’s untiring work in caring for the streetchildren. Providing these unfortunate people with not just a physical shelter but a home that will look after their welfare is definitely inspiring. With Globe Run4Home, we hope to continue making a difference in the lives of Virlanie’s beneficiaries in our own ways,” said Ernest Cu, Globe president and CEO.
Globe gives back the smile to children in Aime and Elizabeth Home, and brings joy and excitement to Virlanie children like 10-year-old JC Ventura, one of the children from Virlanie’s Mobile Unit in Divisoria, who lives on the streets of Divisoria with his family. JC was given a chance to participate in the fun run and completed his first 3K run in 20 minutes and 10 seconds. A total of 20 children from Virlanie’s residential and outreach programs ran in Globe’s Run4Home.
With the help of committed partners like Globe, Virlanie is able to make the lives of streetchildren better and continue its mission of giving back more smiles to streetchildren.