At least 2,000 children from different provinces in the Bicol region will participate and reap benefits from a 21-month Child-Led Academy Project (CLAP) of Fundación Educación y Cooperación (Educo) Philippines and ChildFund Philippines Foundation Inc., two international non-government organizations (NGOs).
During a press conference at The Pepperland Hotel on Wednesday, John Vincent Dumadangon, the child protection sector lead of Educo Philippines, said the children are learners in 115 public and private schools in the provinces of Albay, Sorsogon, and Catanduanes, who will be taught new skills and be involved in developing new initiatives and campaigns advocating for child participation.
“As an academy, we will make a curriculum integrating all resources that we developed previously, like child-led advocacy, project management, well-being, and protection tool kits, as well as advocacy. Self-skill strategies will be used to capacitate the children furthermore, to keep them ready and prepare to reach and teach other children to be advocates as well,” he said.
Dumadangon added that since the start of classes is approaching, they do not want the academic activities of the children to be disturbed so the CLAP will be implemented during weekends in seven participating municipalities in the three provinces.
“It’s an opportunity for these children to grow more, as a child, to be more knowledgeable. They should not only be seen, they should also be heard. As a child-led project, they are the prime movers, and we will develop YES (young, empowered, and small) teachers that aim to reach a lot of children in the region,” he added.
Dumadangon said the ChildFund Philippines Foundation, Inc. will be the local partner organization that will be responsible for the implementation of the project activities in the Educo areas starting this July.
He added that after the project, they want to see children transformed from being shy into active and participatory, able to raise certain issues that affect children on a higher platform.
Gemma Castill-Goliat, Educo country director, said the project is unique since it involves children in decision-making processes and advocacy initiatives related to child rights and protection and disaster risk reduction.
She said the CLAP is aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and focuses on inclusive and equitable quality education.
Educo is a global development NGO that has been present in the Bicol region since 2005. Currently, it carries out more than 200 projects in 14 countries and is part of the ChildFund Alliance. (PNA)
