One of the best bits

These wild monkeys are usually hanging around on our way to the City Refuge centre for our weekly visit to the kids there. And seeing as photography is now prohibited in the centre, you can have this one of the monkeys instead!

When we arrive, we are immediately greeted by smiling faces and shouts of “Kuya Sam, Ate Shiela” as the kids run towards us. All of them are there, taken by social services from their families or living on the streets for their own protection. They have very little to do and visitors are rare, so they love it when we go and spend time specifically with them.

They know their favourite worship songs and sing at the top of their voices. I then tell them a bible story, sometimes with a drama that the kids enjoy acting out. Then games or some basic education; many of them are grateful for the opportunity to learn.

I can see the difference it makes and the happiness it gives them as we visit them weekly – having a fun time and trying to show them God’s love that they so desperately need in their otherwise unloved lives. It is one of my favourite things to do; I love going there.

City refuge

One of my favourite parts of the week is the regular visit to the city refuge. It’s extra special as Shiela and I do it together. The children have very few visitors and get bored so they really enjoy it, too. We have a time of Bible stories, drama, worship and games.

Recently we have included a time to teach the children. This can be challenging, and because they come from different situations, they are at different levels. Some have started school and others not, some of them are at the centre long-term, rather than temporarily.

At the moment there are more young low-level children so we focus on teaching them the basics, reading, writing and numbers. The fewer higher-level kids learn Maths, Filipino and English.

The children want to learn and often when we have our worship time their thanks or prayer request is about learning. We enjoy the challenge of teaching them, it’s rewarding to see them learn.

Brightening up the City Refuge

Our regular activities at the Bantay Bata (the City Refuge for abandoned kids) now include brightening the place up. Despite the fact that the kids are locked behind the high-walled grounds, I love our visits. It’s always such a happy time with the kids... they are so excited and happy when they have visitors and activities to do.

Shiela and I lead a small team that visits the kids to help enrich their lives. Recently, our trips have included planting shrubs and flowers – and fruit trees, as in the picture – to help cheer up the place and hide the concrete walls.

The centre is part of the social services and is where any street kids, orphans or children removed from neglected/abusive families end up until other family can be found – or until they can go to a charity like us here at KNA.

Working with kids from difficult backgrounds, it always amazes me how they can still find such enjoyment in even simple games and activities even though they have been through terrible things.

Enriching lives

One of my favourite activities of the week is a regular visit to the bantay bata – the government run city refuge, part of the social services. It's where any child removed from an abusive family, neglected or abandoned can end up. 

Shiela and I go to play games with the kids, tell Bible stories, do some art or educational games and take snacks. We try to help enrich their lives. The centre has recently moved to a new, larger location which is better for them, but they are still not allowed to leave the compound and there isn’t much for them to do. 

The new premises are well outside of town so they get very few

visitors… in fact, we are the only regular visitors and the kids enjoy the time greatly. Having visitors and things to do is a highlight of their week. 

Shiela and I really enjoy our time there and having the chance to work together. Most of the kids at our KNA safe home have come from the bantay bata. They love to come with us sometimes and play with the kids who, like themselves, have a tough start in life.

(The children posing for the photo are not from the city refuge… we are not allowed to take pictures inside.)

Lock-up... to fun swimming day!

It was a special day for kids from the city refuge when we gave them a fun day out at a local swimming pool. 

This is another part of our ministry here on Palawan – regular activities for the kids from the Bantay Bata, the City Refuge where the government locks up street kids when they get caught. Or they may be orphans... or been abandoned or given up by families that can’t cope... or they have been removed from abusive families. 

It is a sad place – every one of the rejected kids is there because of some terrible past, a range of horrible reasons that led to them being at the Bantay Bata. Each rejected, neglected, abandoned or abused. While at the centre they are always locked in, because some will try to return to the streets, although for others it's to keep abusive families locked out and them kept safe. Either way, it's hard for the kids to have no freedom and always be kept indoors. 

The staff there do their best and are good, but are understaffed to handle what is normally about 30 kids. KNA works with the Bantay Bata with a weekly outreach visit and most of our kids here at the farm have come from there. 

I have been busy recently with the Badjao side of the ministry and can’t get there every week, but Shiela is on the team that goes in every week to do activities. From time-to-time we have a special day out for the kids like this one at the swimming pool, before that they have been here at the farm or we've taken them to a beach. 

It was wonderful to see them so happy enjoying swimming. On top of that we organised lots of games, activities and party nosh to give them a day full of fun and good food. It was a great day for everyone and I loved being a part of it.