HANDOVER OF MOBILE UNIT TO BAHAY TULUYAN
The Australian and New Zealand Association (ANZA) has donated a customised Mitsubishi van to Bahay Tuluyan to assist it continue its vital work of reaching out to help street children in Manila.
The handover of the new van will be officiated by Australian Charge d’Affaires, Mr Stephen Scott and New Zealand Ambassador, Mr Andrew Matheson on 20 February 2009.
Bahay Tuluyan’s Ikot STAR, or Mobile Unit, program serves children living or working on the street. Using a mobile unit, Bahay Tuluyan serves 200-300 children per week in Delpan, Divisoria, Malate, Osmenas, Pandacan and Ascottla. The team, comprised of a social worker and youth facilitators, has provided alternative education, case management, first aid and food to more than 12,000 children on the street in the past two years. The youth facilitators are former street children who have graduated from alternative education and leadership training and use their skills to teach other children.
As the 2008 charity ball beneficiary, ANZA will also fund the extension of Bahay Tuluyan’s three-day program to four days. This will enable Bahay Tuluyan to help keep street children safe and healthy, improve their understanding of the world around them and ultimately help them improve their own life situation.
The annual ball is ANZA’s biggest charity event and one of the largest expatriate fund raising events in Manila. The 2008 ANZA/ANZCHAM Grand Charity Ball was a great success with ANZA raising more than P1.04 million for Bahay Tuluyan.
ANZA is a social non-profit organisation focused on helping the underprivileged in the Philippines. ANZA has been supporting various charities since it was founded many years ago.
Bahay Tuluyan is a Filipino Non Government Organisation that has been providing social services and alternative education programs for children in need of special protection since 1987.