26/04/2023
SHS-AdC Leaders’ Council: One of the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations of the Philippines
Last March 11, 2023, the Sacred Heart School - Ateneo de Cebu Leaders’ Council, with their project LOVE TO LEARN: LEARN TO EARN, emerged as one of the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations of the Philippines at the Far Eastern University Auditorium.
The student-led flagship project strives to empower and reform “Children in Conflict with the Law” (CICLs) through scouting. The project was conducted in the DSWD F.O. VII Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth in Candabong, Argao, which houses youth in conflict with the law from all over the Central Visayas Region. The project consisted of two parts. The first part was a livelihood skills training program that aimed to raise funds to buy the necessary equipment and supplies for baking skills training for the youth. The second part of the program involved conducting regular scouting formations to teach the youth scouting values, such as Christ-centeredness, respect, and kindness, as well as scouting skills like first aid, urban gardening, and knot-tying.
With this, the program imparted a tremendous impact on the youth. After the baking training programs, all the youths were able to bake their own food, which allowed them to be certified for jobs and start businesses. The center was also able to save almost 20k a month as a result of the self-sufficiency of the CICLs in making their own food.
One of the released youth—whose parents are unavailable, went from selling shabu to selling “siakoy” or fried bread in his local community. Additionally, another CICL who had been released shared that he refused to transport a kilo of drugs, despite being offered 100k pesos, because of the guidance and good values he received through the project’s lessons.
Therese Erlyn Napuli, the proponent of the project, said, “These are just a few examples of how we change lives one neckerchief at a time!”
Driven by their passion and collective efforts, the project was acknowledged as one of the top ten accomplished youth organizations. The project successfully shaped the youth into becoming more polite, helpful, responsible, hopeful, and clearer in their goals after joining its programs. The success of the project was driven by their leadership and willingness to serve the youth.
Article by: Rafael Baron Arreza