Philippines: Love the Children Foundation

Introduction

Love the Children Foundation was founded in Davao by Charito and Anthony Chua in 1999. It started as an orphanage but has now expanded to a children’s church, and a community outreach ministry.

Our goal is to give the younger generation hope for a future that exceeds the circumstances they have been given.

Activities

One of our core services for the children at the orphanage is the provision of formal education. Every year we strive to enrol them in pre-school, elementary high school and college.

Distributon of free medicines during an outreach programme.

Aside from running the orphanage, now home to 40 children, Love the Children Foundation aims to make a positive impact in the local community. Each Saturday our New Life youth leaders go out into the community and the children gather for action songs, Bible stories, and games. Also, orphanage staff and volunteers spend each Saturday doing home visitations to the poorest families in nearby villages bringing food, conversation, and prayer.

Project Manager

Charito and Anthony Chua are the centre director and project manager respectively. They have dedicated their lives to helping these children for 10 years now. They believe that what they are doing is for the purpose of God’s kingdom and for God’s glory.

Mrs. Elaine Mugot is the volunteer coordinator. She is the eldest daughter of the Chua couple. Her husband is also helping at the orphanage. Elaine is in-charge of all the volunteers. She is very accommodating, hospitable and can speak fluent English.

Who do we need?

We do not require any specific skills as long as volunteers are willing to participate and learn in all the activities we currently run. Someone who believes in and is passionate in what they are doing with us makes a big difference in these kids lives.

We need volunteers, male or female who have love for children, who can assist us with some of the following activities:

· Website design
· Fundraising
· Social work: case study and treatment plan
· Landscaping
· Beautification of the school ;where some of the kids attend.
· Tutorials
· Skills enhancement: dancing, drawing, voice lessons, musical instruments, karate etc.
· Assist in kitchen, laundry and help the house mother / father.

Accomodation

CHOICE A: The Volunteer will stay and sleep in the volunteer’s quarters. They will have their own room with the facilities stated below.

Accommodation cost includes a clean well lit spacious room with 4 comfortable beds for each volunteer., three meals a day ( Sundays breakfast only), lockers, toilet separated from shower room with water heater, air-conditioning, water dispenser (with mineral water), weekly changing of beddings and free internet access.

CHOICE B: The Volunteers will stay and sleep with the kids.

Accommodation cost includes three meals a day (Sundays breakfast only), Bed with complete beddings, free internet access (provide your own laptop), common comfort rooms and shower rooms with cold shower and lockers.

Environment

We are located 14km from the city proper. Pharmacies, grocery stores, wet market and hospitals are easy to access from our location. It is often 29ºC at night & 32ºC-35ºC during the day.. We always have electricity & clean water in our area. Beaches are very near and it only takes 15 minutes to get to the nearest beach.

This is a very new project. No volunteers have yet visited from Kids Worldwide, although it has been checked out by our East African Supervisor who visited in January.