Calm in the Chaos
Earlier this year in the Philippines, we gathered the children in our Survivor Care and evacuated to remain safe from the eruption of a nearby volcano. Now, because of COVID-19, we’re sheltering in place in our safe homes. 2020 has been difficult because one of the most important things for children recovering from trauma is stability.
Beyond Resilience
Resilience generally means the ability to bounce back or recover from trauma or difficulties. In the physical sense, resilience is the ability of a material to resume its shape, after being deformed. For the children in our care at the Love146 safe homes in the Philippines, resilience means more than that.
Who are these children? They are scholars.
Whenever we were with the children in public places, people would ask, “Who are all these children? Are they siblings?” I would say, they are cousins or they are playmates, or just ignored the question. Now I have determined that Love146 children will be called “scholars” instead of “clients” as they would be called in all the other safe homes or shelters in the Philippines. The children’s eyes lit up when they heard the word “scholar.” And as I explained why “scholar” is an appropriate term for them, I thought I saw great self-worth dawning upon their faces.
A story I wish I didn’t have to tell
Every child who comes to our safe home door means we as a society have been too late. Nevertheless, we persist. Because every child is precious. Because we have seen again and again that love can overcome.
Toward a culture of sharing
Caroling is a tradition in the Philippines, wherein children go…
First Audience
At Love146, different forms of self-expression are encouraged, including music. Every little sound they make is met with lavish praise and encouragement.
Beyond Hiding
Our Director of Asia Survivor Care shares about what a safe home means to her.
Education… Education.
Our Director of Asia Aftercare describes the powerful ways education can transform a survivor’s life.
For a few hours, he is steady.
In the Love146 safe homes, the appalling consequences of child trafficking and exploitation brutally confront us everyday.
Victims to Liberators
Read about how survivors can play an important role in the healing of other children, and how this can liberate them from their earlier victimhood.
The Science & Art of Survivor Care
Dr. Gundelina Velazco shares about how survivor care is both a science and an art, and how in the Round Home, we aim to discover the true attributes of each child and bring them out through loving attention, encouragement, and affirmation.
The Here and Now
Love146 Director of Asia Aftercare shares about how one of the ways we help survivors of child trafficking heal is to focus their awareness of the here and now. Not just the present but the very present. Which is the here, and the now.
You can only talk, live, and breathe love for her
A post from our Director of Asia Survivor Care: “It’s a heartbreaking sight to watch a toddler walk the path toward our home. She cannot speak, yet reveals in actions the horrors that she’s gone through…” (The content in this story may be triggering for survivors of child abuse.)
