“We’re supposed to listen to street children’s voices and to try to do everything to work together so that they will be treated equally,” said Marie Michel, Virlanie’s Mobile Unit Lead who headed the International Day for Street Children Celebration last April 13, 2018 at Delpan, Manila.
Themed “Kamalayan sa mga Karapatan (Consciousness on Rights)”, the event aimed to promote the rights of children in street situations. It gathered Virlanie staff, supporters, and beneficiaries in an afternoon of bonding, awareness, and advocacy.
“They should be given services that are essential to everybody. They should be accommodated properly in child-friendly institutions also; so this celebration is here to say that if we work together, we can do something. We can’t always wait for the government, for the DSWD. We also have to do our part to serve the concerns of street children and we can all do it if we work together,” she added.
Among the event’s highlights were the heartwarming song and dance numbers presented by the Mobile Unit young adults and kids.
The Rising Youth, an organization composed of Virlanie’s young adults, also gave a moving performance of their speech choir piece entitled “Kamalayan.”
Aside from recognizing street children’s rights, the event also intended to become an avenue for Virlanie supporters, volunteers, and staff to meet the children and families catered by the Mobile Unit.
