Project HEAL: Vineyard Health, Education and Livelihoods
Partner: Vineyard of His Grace Ministries Inc.
Location: Marikina and Leyte Districts
In Marikina, where multiple ChildLink families’ homes were scorched and destroyed in a fire. Through your support, Vineyard was able to help contribute to the rebuilding of their homes.
In Laguna, a relocation spot for many families that had their homes devastated during the large typhoon 3 months prior to this photo. Your support provided vulnerable mothers and their children food packets, blankets, and water bottles but most of all you restored their hope and gave them strength. Thank you!
An elementary school for high-risk children in the community. Vineyard, one of the driving forces for the school’s effectiveness and sustainability is able to provide educational resources for the students such as books for their library because of your support. Thank you!
The Problem
Within the communities that this project targets, 50% of the population make monthly incomes under AU$270 and struggle to provide for their family’s basic nessecities. Most of these individuals have previously been unable to access formal financial services to help them get back on their feet. The lack of support makes it incredibly difficult for these families to rise out of poverty.
The children in these communities often suffer the most. Because of the widespread poverty, children are at high risk of abuse including child sex trafficking and prostitution, dropping out of school, and health issues.
According to data gathered by The World Bank, 90.9 percent of Filipino children aged 10 appear to be in a situation of learning poverty, while 90.4 percent are classified as suffering from learning deprivation.
Poverty is the leading driver of children being harmed and robbed of their education, opportunities and futures. Project HEAL works to address the key issue – poverty and by doing so more families and children can lead better lives.
The Project
The key aim of this project is to improve livelihoods by helping more vulnerable people within these communities become self-sustainable, educated, and enabled to break the poverty cycle.
How the project achieves this:
Focus 1: Establishing self-governing Community-Managed Savings and Credit Associations (CoMSCA) groups across five different poverty-stricken districts in The Philippines. These CoMSCA groups help struggling community individuals manage savings, and receive loans and limited financial insurance.
Focus 2: The project also increases the scale of outreach programs for disadvantaged youth who face obstacles to staying in school due to their financial circumstance. This is achieved through partnerships with local schools and mental health services, and by financially empowering students’ families through CoMSCA.
Focus 3: The third focus of the project is on Education in Emergency (EiE) which supports local schools to be ready as the first response shelters for the communities in the event of an emergency – many of which are severe weather conditions such as floods.
Projected Beneficiaries Count: 2,399
Kirk Sherwin Mariano, Vineyard Chief Executive Officer
Sherwin’s Story
“At the age of nineteen, my parents abandoned me. I became an immediate guardian to eight siblings and shouldered the entire responsibility of raising a family alone. Living in a one-room shanty and sleeping on a concrete floor with seven siblings was the norm for my family.
The cramped space and poor sanitation meant we’d spend our time outside or at school to avoid our dwelling. The hardest part for me and my siblings was the rejection we felt from our parents and people in our community.
I used to be embarrassed to share my story, now I’m excited. I believe my experience is not just about me. Through telling my story, people can see that I’m just one person, and there’s so many others who need help like I did. I am just one story.”
*INA does not have overseas offices and staff. We support, help grow, and learn from established in-country community-based partners for long term sustainability.
Your support is changing lives and transforming communities!
Education and Economic Development Project – Progress Update (from July ’20 until July ’21)
- 169 parents received online tutoring on how to support their children,
- 395 families received a food packet along with school supplies,
- 370 children were supported with online learning modules, vitamins and other items for safety such as face masks and hygiene supplies,
- 1,218 food packets, blankets, masks, and water bottles were distributed in the Marikina district after the flooding in November 2020,
- Currently, there are 33 functional CoMSCA groups (1,000 members with 75 Linked families),
- 18 CoMSCA groups had a share out activity, where members used their returned savings for cell phones, to install wi-fi or for medical emergencies.
Expanded Health Access and Awareness Progress Update (from April ’20 until March ’21)
- 22 leaders from 4 areas attended training on Health issues and Citizen’s Voice and Action (CVA) advocacy approach,
- 241 participants attended online CVA and mental health training, which has become an increasingly important issue during the pandemic,
- Leaflets about Basic Health Services and Referral System were distributed to Linked families and CoMSCA members,
- 402 children in 5 communities received food packs, vitamins and some sanitary materials,
- 370 children and adults in 5 communities were supplied with vitamins,
- 405 families (380 women, 25 men) from 5 communities received financial assistance and goods during the lockdown,
- 31 leaders are working closely with the staff of Vineyard in implementing different healthcare activities and monitoring the wellbeing of families,
- 120 first aid kits were distributed in Leyte for Linked families.
Donate today to help vulnerable families become self-sustainable and keep children in school.
Thank you for making a difference!