My Journey with Childhope
๐ ๐ค๐จ๐ ๐. ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ก ๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ฃ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ. ๐๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐๐ง, ๐ฌ๐ ๐ข๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐พ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐๐จ ๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ.
Greetings to everyone! I am Patricia Anne P. Deinla, a 4th-year student of Bachelor of Arts in Broadcasting at Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa, Manila, and I just finished my internship at Childhope Philippines Foundation Inc.
Working in Childhope Philippines Foundation Inc. for a month is a remarkable experience. The internship did not only allow me to apply what Iโve learned in school, but it also let me see the reality of life. It also made me realize the primary reason why I want to be an effective storyteller that could change oneโs life.
During the first weeks of our internship, we interviewed the beneficiaries of the Educational Assistance Program of CHAP who recently graduated from college. We had a glimpse of their life, the obstacles they encountered, the hope, and the dreams they are gradually reaching. We were also able to hear the stories of potential scholars from the social workers who tirelessly and constantly aid their clients under the Street Education and Protection program of CHAP.
Hearing the stories of the beneficiaries from the social workers and other staff of CHAP is extremely eye-opening and at the same time a heart-wrenching moment for me, to say the least. Because it showed me how many Filipino families are struggling to even support their daily needs. It showed me how many children choose to work and grow beyond their age just to have something to eat or to support their studies. It showed me how cruel and harsh the street and the world are which take advantage of the vulnerability of the street children. And lastly, ๐๐ฉ ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐๐๐ก๐ฅ ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฃ๐.
However, amidst the unfortunate situation that the children face, ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ง ๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐, ๐๐ค๐ก๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐จ, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐พ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ช๐ค๐ช๐จ๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ง๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐จ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to our very supportive and loving supervisors, ๐๐จ. ๐๐ฎ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐จ. ๐๐๐ข, who guided us throughout our internship journey. Working with you doesnโt seem working at all. I also would like to thank the graduates that I interviewed, ๐๐จ. ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ง. ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐. I am wishing you a great journey ahead.
Thank you also to ๐๐จ. ๐๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐ ๐ค๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ง. ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ for caring for the street children and for sharing with us your story and life as social workers. I also thank ๐๐ง. ๐๐ก๐ฉ๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ง. ๐พ๐๐ง๐ก๐ค for letting us experience the KalyEskwela program last September 7 in the Ermita Area and letting us visit the place of the beneficiaries because it did give us a new perspective on the life of the street children that the Childhope Philippines is hoping to address. And of course, thank you to the youth in the Ermita Area for making us feel belong. ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐จ๐ข๐๐ก๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐๐ช๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ ๐ช๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ค๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ง๐, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐๐ข ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ช๐ก ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ช๐จ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐จ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐๐๐จ. ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐๐ง๐ซ๐๐ก๐ค๐ช๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช.
Lastly, thank you, Childhope Philippines Foundation Inc., for allowing us to learn and grow under your organization even in such a short period. Your advocacy to help street children is astonishing.
๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐ช๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ก๐จ๐ค ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ซ๐ค๐ก๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฅ๐ช๐จ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐, ๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ช๐จ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฃ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ, ๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ฃ ๐ค๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐ฉ๐ช๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ฃ, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ข๐ช๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ช๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ ๐ข๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ค๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐๐.
I would love to meet you all again soon.