A typhoon and heavy rains devastated the city of Manila, Philippines, separating families and leaving many homeless
Children International youth engaged in play therapy to help children cope with the trauma after the typhoon.
Kansas City, MO (March 29, 2011) The Philippine National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) presented Children International, a U.S.-based charity, their highest honor for best performance of a non-government organization in humanitarian assistance in their efforts to save the children and families affected by natural disasters.
The Philippine NDCC recognized Children International for three reasons:
The U.S.-based humanitarian organization helps more than 335,000 children globally, with more than 77,000 of those residing in the Philippines. Their volunteer network of 10,000 parents and community members are motivated to help based on the spirit of their communities.
The evaluating team took into consideration the success of Children International’s Youth Program. The Youth Health Corps, one of many youth programs, consists of more than 500 youth volunteers who help their peers in the community overcome hardships. These youth are trained in psychosocial therapy and health awareness. In post-disaster response, they facilitated many psychosocial play therapy sessions for children dramatically impacted by typhoons, hurricanes, flooding and fires.
The Youth Council was also cited for their efforts to improve their communities and environment in times of adversity. The Youth Empowerment Fund is given to youth councils so they can learn to actively participate in decision making, creative thinking, and positively influencing their community. The youth in this region created the Care to Love the Environment And Nature (CLEAN) community project in which they helped repair damage to their communities by cleaning up debris and much more.
“Our youth do wonderful things for their communities every day,” said Children International President and CEO Jim Cook. “This award is an honor, but I am more proud that our agency, its volunteers and youth respond quickly when people of the community need it the most.”
The Gawad Kalasag Award is the government’s recognition of outstanding performance of partners and stakeholders in disaster-management programs. The award also highlights cases of extraordinary courage, heroism, self-sacrifice and bravery against all odds in times of natural and man-made disasters and emergencies.
About Children International
Children International is a leader in the movement to eradicate poverty. From toddler to young adulthood, we surround kids with a caring team, a safe place and a clear path out of poverty through programs focused on health, education, empowerment and employment. Our supporters are inspired as they see children radically change their lives and create a ripple effect that impacts their families and communities for generations to come.
