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| "A Loving Home for Every Child" |
At first I cannot understand why an orphanage will be located inside one of the country's richest residences. Maybe Dr. Hermann Gmeiner, founder of SOS, has his reasons why he picked this site 22 years ago. Whatever it is, it was good.
Yesterday, I found myself in SOS Children's Village nestled inside the posh residential subdivision of Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa City.
Home to 78 children - abandoned and some forced to leave their families - this compound has eight well maintained children's houses, recreational facilities, and professional offices. It has 22 full-time "professional mothers" - women who committed their lives to taking care of the children and loving them as their own. I was impressed at how this place was run like a well-oiled machine, really. Thanks to the sponsors and to its efficient management team.
We went inside the SOS Fund Development office. A young well-groomed man at his teens entered, took the hand of two SOS officers and made the "mano po" - a Filipino gesture where the young takes the hand of another person and places it on his or her forehead to show respect.
I learned he grew up in SOS, was sent to La Salle Zobel de Ayala Highschool, and is now an exchange student in a top university in HongKong. Indeed, he found hope inside the SOS village.
As a mother, I know the value of having a happy, sufficient home for children to grow up in. It is their right, and it gives them room for success. Sadly, for the Philippines, 60% of children are either growing up in the streets, in an abusive home, gangs, or left by their parents to strangers or relatives.
Homes such as SOS Children's Village indeed stand for its acronym.To save and give children hope for their future. It reminded me to be more grateful, and through this blog, help in my own way in sending out an SOS message to the online world.
To know more about SOS Children's Village and how you can help, visit http://www.sosphilippines.org.
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