Featured Story
February/March 2006
When God’s Vision Fills Every Need
To date,
every project that Arms of Love established was unique in
those locales. In Managua, Nicaragua and Bohol, Philippines,
Arms of Love was the first to operate Christian children’s
homes that provided long-term residential care based on a
family model. In Morelia, Mexico, the Victory Center is the
only ministry that focuses on the special needs of
adolescent street girls. In Senegal, the Arms of Love
Children’s Home was the first Christian children’s home or
orphanage in that country.
We’re
continuing our series that compares our presence to other
local agencies and organizations. This month, we are
focusing on Bohol, Philippines to promote understanding of
our mission, and how Arms of Love compares to other child
protection organizations there. As a starting point, we will
provide an overview of the other programs on Bohol – a
province with a population of about one million people –
that meet the needs of children at risk.
Bohol
Crisis Intervention Center (BCIC)
The
Bohol Crisis Intervention Center (BCIC) is a government
agency that provides multiple intervention and
rehabilitation services to help protect abused children and
women, whether the abuse is sexual, physical or emotional.
The BCIC provides temporary shelter and basic services to
these abused children and women as an immediate intervention
strategy, but does not provide long-term residential care.
Many of the children ultimately return to their homes when
the crisis resulting in their displacement has passed.
BCIC is
also known for its province-wide education and advocacy
programs to raise public awareness on the inherent rights of
children and women as well as the damage of child abuse and
domestic violence. Although the BCIC is owned by the
Provincial Government of Bohol, it is managed by the global,
non-profit Feed the Children - Philippines in collaboration
with the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Since the
BCIC is Bohol’s central child protection agency and provides
temporary, emergency care for abused children, many of the
children Arms of Love has received into its children’s home
have been referred to Arms of Love from this Center. Some of
the children, tragically, had been living in this
“temporary” shelter for many years before coming to Arms of
Love.
Feed the
Children - Philippines
In addition
to managing the operations of the BCIC, Feed the Children
also offers its services under its own name in the Bohol
community. Established in 1979, this global
non-profit
has evolved from a pure charity that addressed immediate
needs of alleviating hunger to an integrated community and
rights-based program aimed to empower communities for the
long term. Accordingly, Feed the Children’s community
empowerment services include granting credit services and
micro-financing for enterprise development, supporting the
long-term viability of area fisheries, agriculture and
agro-forestry, and promoting the integration of population
issues in the management of coastal and natural resources.
Feed the
Children’s primary focus -- children and family programs --
fall into three categories: Feeding Children; Child’s Rights
Advocacy; and Family Development. These programs encompass
education, public awareness as well as direct services to
support these objectives. Its latest growth in services has
branched into the development needs of children, families
and communities. None of these programs, however, provide
for the long-term placement of abandoned children in family
environments.
Local
Orphanage
A Catholic
nonprofit organization sponsors and manages an orphanage in
Bohol that caters to orphaned, abandoned and neglected
children. The children range from 3-to-12 years of age and
attend local public schools. Presently, three staff members
-- one houseparent, one assistant houseparent and one social
worker -- oversee 24 children. However, when children reach
their 12th birthday, the orphanage tries to place the
children into a local foster family.
Arms of
Love Children's Home
For
Arms of Love, Christ’s love is the powerful answer to heal
and rebuild the young lives of abandoned and homeless
children. On Bohol, Arms of Love has established
family-based homes that provide long term residential care
for these children. These homes are based on Christ’s love,
filling every need – physically, emotionally, educationally
and spiritually – so the children can learn to trust, hope
and believe in themselves and others. With house parents as
strong role models, helpers who have an affinity for loving
children and trained professionals to teach the children
new, productive behaviors, Arms of Love emphasizes strong,
loving relationships to replace the biological relationships
that the children have lost or perhaps never had. By
ministering to all facets of children’s needs, our goal is
to bring healing into every part of their lives.
When Arms
of Love becomes the legal guardian of the children, it
accepts the care of its children until they reach adulthood.
They are sent to private schools, which often is the best
opportunity for their educational advancement. They come to
know the Lord from a direct relationship with a local church
as well as their house parents, who are living Christian
role models. They participate in compassion ministries,
learning service and giving to others. They often compete in
organized sports, go on group outings and play on the
recreational facilities onsite.
In the year
2000, the first Arms of Love home in Bohol was under
construction and there were only five street children under
their care. Today, it has grown into a complex of three
homes with house parents for each house and a total of 28
kids, which includes 13 boys and 15 girls. This spring, two
young women from Arms of Love will graduate from high
school! Arms of Love is creating transition programs for the
two young women, helping them earn a degree from a community
college or university. (See related story).
The vision
that God has given to us – which includes an emphasis of
quality over quantity – is a key difference between Arms of
Love and other orphanages, children’s homes and child
protection agencies. Our objective is to fully reflect God’s
love, compassion and mercy into every child’s life so that
one day they may grow to be servant leaders in their local
churches, professions and communities. By learning and
knowing God’s love, their hearts will be filled and enabled
to meet their own needs, but also the needs of their future
families as well.
Arms of Love Plans For Its First High School Graduation
As part of
its commitment to develop its children as productive leaders
for tomorrow, Arms of Love has created a transition program
for its first high school graduates. Two young women from
the Bohol Arms of Love Children’s Home are scheduled to
graduate from high school this quarter. Both want to pursue
higher education for professional careers. One has dreams in
health care and the other in hotel management. As they apply
for entrance to their respective colleges, Arms of Love has
established the following program to assist in the
transition from high school to college.
