Last March 1st, 2020, AEM France (Amis des enfants du Monde or « The Friends of the Children of the World”) granted Virlanie Foundation, Inc. financial support amounting to PHP 1 Million (EU 18,000) to sustain its three (3) Community Projects for the whole year 2020. The Community Projects (under Community Pillar) seek to prevent occurrence of abuse and neglect among children through building stronger families and sustainable communities.
The AEM fund will sustain Virlanie’s community-based interventions including community counseling, livelihood and professional trainings, income-generating projects and sponsoring of children’s education. It will serve a total of 150 children and 150 families (1 family = 5 individuals) in Bagong Silangan (Quezon City), Quiapo and Parola (Manila).
About our partner: AEM, “The Friends of the Children of the World”
Created in 1970 by Mrs. Minnie Gallozzi-Ulmann to help the children victims of the Vietnam war, the French association « The Friends of the Children of the World » (“Les Amis des Enfants du Monde” or AEM in French) has been expanding ever since. As a non-profit non-political and nonreligious association, the function of the AEM is to provide long-term help to children in need either through local action in the area, or by looking for a French foster family for those who no longer have a future in their own country.
AEM believes that all children, no matter his/her background, deserve a future. Its vision is to promote children protection and development according to their specific needs (material, educational, social, psychological, cultural). It focuses on long-term development projects rather than emergency-response. Currently, AEM is funding more than 70 local projects in 13 different countries of the world.
Because AEM and Virlanie share the same vision for vulnerable children, they choose to support our Community Pillar.
Prevent occurrence of abuse and neglect among children through building stronger families and sustainable communities.
About 4.5 million people are estimated to be homeless or living in the informal settlers in the Philippines, with 3 million of them in Metro Manila. Most of them are migrant families from the provinces who come in search of better opportunities. Others have been forced out of their homes by industrial projects or natural calamities. In these urban poor communities, multiple problems need to be addressed: child labor, poor education, high incidence of malnutrition, child neglect, child abuse, exploitation and child trafficking.
The Community Pillar seeks to prevent occurrence of abuse and neglect among children through building stronger families and sustainable communities. It reaches out to three urban poor communities of Metro-Manila: Barangay Bagong Silangan (Quezon City), Quiapo and Parola (Manila).
In these 3 communities, the Community Pillar leads community-based interventions including community counseling, livelihood and professional trainings, income-generating projects and sponsoring of children’s education. It provides integrated services from its core interventions: Family Case Management and Family Development, to internal referrals to Virlanie Health, Education and Integration Pillars, as well as external referrals to other partners (LGU, Barangays, DSWD, NGOs, Specialized Health Centers…).
AEM representatives’ field visit
Last March 9 and 10, 2020, two representatives of AEM, Mrs. Manuela Wecxsteen and Mrs Louiselotte Lion, came to the Foundation to meet with our staff and beneficiaries.
They met with Executive Management and Board of Trustees, before going on field visit for two days. They have been toured in the Residential Homes, and they also visited the three Community Projects they support. From Bagong Silangan where Virlanie has been active for 10 years to Parola Community which is Community Pillar’s newest Project, they were able to get a good overview of our action towards most disadvantaged families.
In Bagong Silangan Community, they met and discussed with Mrs. Emma Solasco, Community Program Manager, and the Community Lead Mothers. They have been shown the various community projects that have been implemented by community members with Virlanie’s support in terms of facilitation and organization. Among others are a community savings and emergency fund, a rice retailing enterprise and a home-based mini bakery. Our visitors enjoyed the homecooked delicacies that trained mothers baked for them and had the chance to meet with some of the sponsored children.
They also had an ocular visit in the Quiapo and Parola Communities. The Parola Community Project that has been launched last March 2019 is still at its early stage meaning profiling and selection of families and children beneficiaries.
Thank you AEM for supporting the development and empowerment of community-based children and families!
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