Auteur: Angelique Smidstra

Afgelopen week hebben wij, Arjen en Stephanie voor de derde keer Bahay Aurora bezocht. Het was een fantastisch mooie en interactieve week. We hebben onder andere gewerkt aan krukjes van cement, hierdoor hopen we meer kleur te geven op een creatieve manier.

Tevens gaan we ook tegen dat er auto overal op het terrein geparkeerd worden. Samen met Ronnie heeft Arjen een metalen constructie gelast en deze vervolgens overgoten met cement. Deze U vormige blokken zijn we vervolgens samen met de kids gaan schilderen en bovenop hebben we mozaiek verwerkt. Al met al een super geslaagd project waarbij de kinderen op een artistieke manier hun bijdrage konden leveren.

Afgelopen week hebben wij opnieuw mogen ervaren wat voor fantastisch werk hier geleverd wordt. Er wordt met zoveel passie voor deze kinderen gezorgd en met z’n allen werken ze samen aan een betere toekomst voor deze kids. Je merkt aan alles dat ze het ontzettend naar hun zin hebben en er een veilige liefdevolle omgeving is.

Physical exercise improves our daily activities. We burn calories, improves our lungs and heart. It also prevents from getting a diabetis, stroke, and heart problems. It lowers blood pressure and prevent from getting sick in the near future.

The immune system is being strenghten to combat illnesses. We become stronger our bones and muscles moves as we move through exercise.. It also brings energy for our daily activities. It also fights against cancer and keeps away from stresses in life.

Just 30 minutes a day of walking is good for our body.. As we load the food we eat sometimes gives us more sugar that stores in our body.. If this sugar is not use it can cause high sugar levels. This must be converted in work out. This means we need to exercise, we need to move so we can consume what we intake and use this energy to much sugar is not good.

We in Bahay Aurora gives importance to our exercise, this is the kids of Bahay Aurora, and this is also for our family who needs us. Proper exercise and good lifestyle can make a difference. This will improve our health and prevent any kinds of diseases. If we our healthy our mind and body is functioning to the optimum level that it should be..

Afgelopen week was de ‘kick off’ van het project begeleid kamerbewoning van Bahay Aurora.

Jongeren die de leeftijd van 17 hebben bereikt worden doorgaans uitgeplaatst naar familie omdat deze jongeren niet langer passen binnen Bahay Aurora, ze zijn gewoon te oud geworden en willen weg, meer vrijheid…

Helaas gaat dat niet altijd goed, vooral meiden blijken erg kwetsbaar. We hebben in Januari een aantal van die meiden bezocht die we het jaar daarvoor hadden uitgeplaatst en daar werden we niet vrolijk van. Een aantal leefden onder erbarmlijke omstandigheden, hadden reeds zelf kinderen of waren zwanger. Allemaal erg triest. Na een nadere analyse moesten we concluderen dat deze jongeren te vroeg de weg naar zelfstandigheid waren ingeslagen. Het is veel beter om eerst een beroepsopleiding af te maken en dan een baan.

Ook terugkeer naar de wijk waar onze doelgroep vandaan komt is verre van wenselijk.

Dat was Januari…Inmiddels zijn we druk bezig met het bouwen van faciliteit voor deze doelgroep. We hopen dat die over twee maanden bewoonbaar zal zijn.

Omdat het schooljaar inmiddels weer is begonnen hebben we vandaag de ‘kick off’ gedaan van het project. Ghie heeft een presentatie gedaan over hoe het project wordt opgezet    en de jongeren die in dit project gaan meedraaien hebben een overeenkomst ondertekend met daarin de wederzijdse verwachtigen vastgelegd. We moeten het ook een beetje officieel maken… We hebben drie meisjes terug gehaald naar BAHAY Aurora omdat deze meiden in zeer zwaar weer zaten, van die drie zijn er nog twee over.

De andere meiden stonden op het punt om uitgeplaatst te worden maar wachtewn nu tot het gebouw klaar is en gaan dan daar wonen.

Aan de studie en maak wat van je toekomst !!

Als je dit project wil ondersteunen wordt dan 1 van onze maandelijke donateurs, doen !!

https://www.bahayaurora.nl/word-donateur/

During calamities like strong typhoons, Philippines is usually one of the most affected countries by  deadly floods and landslides. The effect of the climate change over the past years have seen because of its extreme heat that lead to stronger and frequent storms.

Looking back in September year 2009 from the Typhoon Ondoy, the storm hit Central Luzon where Rizal is located. The waters rose so fast that people living in low lying areas were caught unaware and had to stay in the roofs to avoid being swept away. Bahay Aurora had 70.000 euro worth of damage at the time.

Bahay Aurora got heavily affected by this typhoon. Luckily we managed to bring the kids to the second floor so no child got hurt. Walls   have been destroyed by heavy floods and it left damages all around  the compound and inside the buildings. Walls were replaced and furnished by strong blocks and the Bougainvillea and other trees are planted to make the wall extra strong. For safety reasons the sliding floodgate was built to protect the compound from the overflow of water from the river. It was placed to cover the entrance gate to resist the flood. Then the canal was constructed as the drainage and to navigate the river flows   or water floods through to the rice field. With continuous rainfalls the water levels gets up higher easily. It is very important to have canals because it help to lessen the water floods that could cause Dengue and Leptospirosis which is very harmful specially to the residents of Bahay Aurora, the children. One of our dear volunteers Tio Ton died one week after the typhoon due to Leptospirosis. He had only a very small wound but it got infected and all the hospital were overcrowded, thousands have died.

After this terrible experience in 2009 ,we regularly include to our activities the practice and awareness exercises  for our children about the natural disasters and calamities.

While legally an adult at the age of 18, for most people, the transition to independence is a gradual one. During these transition years, young people’s families provide financial assistance, help them decide on a career and/or support them while they learn how to live on their own. Unfortunately, kids in the residential care don’t have this luxury: one minute they are children, dependent for their food, clothing, shelter and health care, and the next minute they are on their own.   After coming out from the residential care, they face significantly higher risks of homelessness, drug addiction, unemployment, early pregnancy and jail time upon turning 18 than the general population.  

Independent Living provides children in residential care with the tools they need to become stable and productive adults. The main goal of the Independent Living Program is not only to teach young adults basic life skills, but also to help them develop problem solving and decision-making skills, and the ability to creatively meet the challenges that all adults face in daily life.  

Bahay Aurora Independent Living Program is structured to allow a young adult, from age 17 to transition from dependent care to autonomous adult living. Independent Living is intended to provide a safe environment for youth who have been either to Bahay Aurora or other residential care or other youth that has been reunited to their family but not receiving proper support.  

The length of time a youth can stay in Independent Living depends on each person’s motivation to become independent. Educational factors may also contribute to the length of time a youth is in the program. Youth may remain in the program until the age of 21 if they continue to progress in the development of new skills, pursue their education, and remain unemployed

“Ik ben Janine Yapoyco, 25 jaar oud uit Binangonan, Rizal. Ik studeerde in 2013 af aan de Centro Escolar University met een diploma in Bachelor of Science in Social Work.

Het is altijd mijn droom geweest om in een kindertehuis te werken, dat gevoel werd alleen maar sterker tijdens mijn studie. Ik zag en voelde bij Bahay Aurora hoe vervullend het was om hulp en interactie met de kinderen uit te breiden; Ik zag hoe extra geduldig de maatschappelijk werkers zijn; Ik zag hoe ze meer lijken te geven dan ik dacht dat ze zouden moeten; en over het algemeen zag ik wat een ideale praktijk eigenlijk is in ons vakgebied’.

My experience being a replacement in Bahay Aurora.

Hello! I’m Raymond Reyes a former ojt’s here at Bahay Aurora. After I finished my study they gave me an opportunity to work here as a replacement.

My first day as a replacement in Bahay Aurora was great yet felt nervous because I don’t have any experience in parenting. But with the help of my knowledge in my course I easily socialize with them, knew their feelings emotionally and physically.

The kids treated me as their real Kuya, they show me respect, love and sometimes they’re being naughty. But it is okay because there are kids. As a replacement they treated me as a family member of Bahay Aurora especially the staff. I know that I am new in Bahay Aurora but I didn’t feel that I am other people. I would like to say thank you because I got a great experience, unforgettable memories and I learn a lot for being a replacement. I am looking for the next get together with Bahay Aurora Family.

Continue reading Raymond Reyes experience

May 19-29, 2018

Part of my education as a social worker was going to Korea in order to experience how organizations are working abroad. Going to Korea has been a great opportunity for me not for leisure but more on life learnings.

Kkottongnae Brother of Jesus, The institution that invited us for this trip to experience their Love in Action School Program. Though it was founded and run by Catholic priest, their social welfare service to the people in the community really amazed me.

Their intervention was literally from womb to tomb. They care much about those children with special needs. Some of them joined in the ASEAN sport competition.  Although abortion is prohibited in Korea still many women are doing and practicing it in different reasons,   some are just left anywhere but this congregation put up a cemetery for the aborted babies so that they will be buried properly fetus were just left in that cemetery.

Abandoned children were brought to the ‘House of Angels’ were children staying there were processed for adoption. The youngest was four (4) months old and the eldest was 7 yrs. Old. We were not allowed to take pictures since children there are for adoption.

Kkottongnae community has a house for children with special needs, on different level. The ratio was 2 teachers for 4 kids.

Some special children who are bigger and finished their high school have the bakery where they bake the breads for Kkottongnae community. Certificate were given to them if they finished equivalent to Philippine NCII.

Another experience that I will never forget was assisting the patients in the hospital. I really admired those people who are doing their jobs in the hospital the care and their passion in taking care of these people. Most of the patient in this hospital were abandoned by their family. The unit where we are assigned was those patients who are just waiting for their time of death but still they were treated very well and they don’t treat them as clients but as a family. Bathing them every day, putting lotion after bathe, fixing their beds and cleaning their rooms is what we did. They have their own columbary for the dead, and those who died on the streets with coordination with the police were also cremated and buried there.

The lesson that I learned from them was their heart for volunteerism and they are all doing this with love.

Ghie

After a long vacation the bahay aurora kids are now prepared this coming school year they are excited to come back with full of experience and happiness over the last two months, because here at bahay aurora were have a lot of activity during summer such like summer camp, swimming, walk-a-thon, running, educational tour and team building activity.

And now! they are already to face again the reality of being kids to learn and gain knowledge at the school. This year we have two of kids are now going their first step at the kinder garden they are excited to acquaint with new friends and also their teacher at the school.

Before the month of June start we prepared the belongings of the kids like new bag, notebook paper, ballpen, pencil, uniform, shoes etc. Also, we have storage room here manage by Ate Ella our teacher of special children and with the help of house parents the kids needed from school will provided of our supply room, every year we’ll do this to make sure from head to toe their satisfied to the needs and ready their minds before schooling.

We would like to Thank you!, once again to those donators of school supply, and all the best in the good work you are doing for the children of Bahay Aurora.

-Matthew Custodio (Bahay Aurora Staff