Shelter for Street Children by Bale Angel
Bale Anghel (Home of Angels) is a place for street children to eat, bathe and be clothed, learn to read and write, learn about God, learn basic skills, play and rest.
Many of us have had uncomfortable encounters while walking along the streets or sitting in a restaurant, when we are approached by snot-nosed, barefoot, half-naked street children asking for food. Others can be seen tapping on tinted car windows, asking for money. We see mothers holding out undernourished babies outside the nearby 7/11. At night, they sleep wherever their tired feet end their walk for the day. Often this is in front of a closed establishment down town.
Understanding the street children:
Street children can be classified into three (3) categories:
those who stay most of the time in streets and go home when they want
those who actually live on the streets with their families
those who are totally abandoned
They stay on the streets because:
poverty has forced them and/or their families to find ways to supplement their income
they have to keep themselves busy as they cannot afford to go to school
they want or need to escape family conflict
they run away from a physically abusive environment at home
they join fellow children for thrills
Many of them have lived on the streets throughout their lives and have learned to survive there. Their sense of identity is connected to the streets - “they are free spirits”. Their outlook and way of life is totally different from what we know. Therefore, any solution to their problems must involve knowing them and letting them find their own solutions.
Bale Anghel is a place to where children can be children, a place where they can receive their basic rights:
to have a decent meal
to be able to take a bath and have clean clothes
to have access to medical assistance and first aid treatment
to learn basic reading and writing
to have basic counseling to emotional and psychological problems
to have someone to talk to who will understand and not judge
to play and be with other children
to sleep and restand most importantly, to learn about God and have a hope for the future
Project Goal:
Bale Anghel’s vision is to rid the streets of Angeles City of these children by giving them a safe transition place (halfway house) to stay while working to find them a permanent residence.
Strategies:
Bale Anghel should be an accommodating and inviting haven. The atmosphere is of love and concern. The police and the barangay volunteers who may be tapped to round up these street children must act with outmost kindness and tolerance. The street children must come of their own free will and are not to be forced to come to the Bale. No batons, handcuffs and guns will be used when gathering them. Youth volunteers will also join in gathering up the kids.
Upon arrival at the Bale Anghel, the children will undergo and initial interview for the purpose of profiling and documenting them. Questions such as: name, age, gender, parents’ names, parents’ whereabouts (living, work, address), school, and other related background information is needed. This information will be helpful for government and non-government agencies in identifying common issues, problems and situations with the end of addressing them and finding permanent resolutions.
The children will be bathed and given a clean kit (clean set of used or new clothes, toothbrush and toothpaste, slippers, if possible) as a first step towards orienting them about proper hygiene. This activity is also intended to mark a transition to a better outlook and restore their confidence in themselves as members of society.
Meals will be served for at breakfast (such as sopas, champorado) and lunch or dinner (such as rice and fish) and the like. Food donations will be solicited and accepted. Participation of food donors in the soup kitchen will be encouraged and warmly welcomed.
Activities for the children will also be scheduled such as:
Story Telling
Arts & Crafts
Bible Stories/Cathecism
Scribble and Draw
Free play
Donations for materials for these activities will also be solicited and accepted.
For children (or in some cases, the elderly) who are abandoned or neglected by their families, a three-day pass may be given to allow them to stay at the Bale Anghel for three (3) nights. During this time, however, they should be able to find other/permanent places to stay. Coordination will be made with Bahay Pag-ibig, Children’s Home, Bahay Bata and the DSWD local office in this regard. A strong working relationship with the community/local leaders is very much needed for this project to attain and sustain success.
Criteria for recipients/beneficiaries is any child who:
is living or staying in the streets for long periods of time
has run away from home
is lost and cannot find his/her way home
has been abandoned
Source of Funding: By Divine Providence and those who will allow His Spirit to work through them.
Supplies and equipment needed:
To get Bale Anghel ready for its guests:
cleaning materials – pails, soap, sponges, rags, mops, scrubbing pads, brooms, dustpans
paint, paintbrushes
light bulbs and fixtures
bathroom fixtures (bathroom tiles, toilet and lavatory) for repair of shower and toilet area
For soup kitchen:
Stove and LPG tank
Cooking utensils
Plates, bowls, glasses
Spoons, forks
Monoblock tables and chairs (1 or 2 sets)
Food items and ingredients (juices, biscuits, sugar, milk powder, etc.)
For hygiene consciousness and health development:
Soap and shampoo
Towels (old or new)
Toothbrushes and toothpaste
Clothes rack and hangers or cabinet/shelves for clothes
Slippers and shoes (second-hand or new)
Clothes – (old or new) t-shirts, shorts, pants, panties/briefs (new)
Medicines
First-aid supplies and equipment
For reading corner:
Shelves for toys and books
Books (school and story books for children)
Toys
Electric fan
Arts and craft materials
For sleeping area:
Banig/Mats or mattresses (at least 3 pieces)
Pillows and blankets (at least 3 sets)
Volunteers:
Workers for Bathroom Repair
People to clean and scrub the area
Cooks for the soup kitchen
Story-telling and arts and crafts readers and leaders
Medical practitioners and dentists who will speak on hygiene and health issues to the children
There will be strictly no smoking inside Bale Anghel.
Alcoholic beverages and those already under the influence will not be allowed inside.
There will be strictly no gambling and/or games that involve betting inside Bale Anghel.
Bale Anghel is intended only as a temporary shelter. No one can stay for longer than 3-days. Thos who will need more permanent arrangements and assistance will be referred to the local DSWD office, Bahay Pag-Ibig and other organizations who can cater to their needs.
