Young Focus is a Dutch organization (set up in 1992) that gives concrete and effective help to children from the poorest families in the Philippines, so that they can have a more hopeful future.
In order to be as effective as possible Young Focus works literally where these children live: in squatter areas such as Smokey Mountain II - a garbage dump in Manila, on and around which thousands of people live, earning a meager living as scavengers.
These children have no future without an education. They have no chance of making something out of their lives without an education. In fact, it would not be exaggerating to say that, without an education, they are doomed to living on a garbage dump or on the street for the rest of their lives. Without an education there is no prospect of a reasonable income. Without an education their talents will never come to light. Without an education they will have to raise their own children in the same surroundings...
Young Focus sponsors children aged 6 and above through school, supporting them up to the day they find a job. The sponsorship covers a child's total education: from elementary school, through high school, including college or university. In addition, from high school age onwards, students are given extra coaching to prepare them socially, mentally and practically for entering society.
Young Focus provides a combination of individual school sponsorship plus various supporting projects. Why? Children from squatter areas are not only disadvantaged in terms of their educational development, but also struggle in other areas, such as with low self-esteem. They are often somewhat less developed physically as well, due to malnutrition in their early years.
In order to tackle the problems facing the young people Young Focus has set up the following projects (click on the project name for more information):
School Sponsorship
Student Center
Feeding Project
a. School Sponsorship: individual and financial support to go to school. Age range of students starts from beginning of elementary school (6 years old) up through college/ university (approx. 22 years old). Read here more about the School Sponsorship.
Various activities to help fully empower each student and family, Young Focus providing:
b. A Student Center: a center where all sponsored high school and college/ university students can use the computers, library and different recreational areas. Read more...
The following activities are organized at the Student Center:
- Personal Coaching: social workers and educational coaches focus on any personal problems the students are facing, as well as the students' social and spiritual development.
- Family Assistance: social workers also address problems arising in families, both at a social and practical level (can the family afford it if their child goes to school instead of working to provide income for the family?)
- Educational Programs: students struggling with a subject receive extra lessons; there are also workshops and extra training to complement their studies
- Social and Recreative Activities: Young Focus organizes various recreation activities, such as youth camp, for both the elementary children as well as the older students.
- Follow up: Young Focus's goal is that all students ultimately find a job. In order to realize this Young Focus is networking with companies and organizations. Via these contacts the students can start to find their place in society during or after their studies.
Read more about the Student Center on this page!
c. Feeding Project: it is the youngest ones in the poorest families who often have to contend with malnutrition. Therefore Young Focus has set up a Child Care project to help the severely malnourished young children reach an acceptable weight.
Read more about the Young Focus Child Care on this page!
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"The Student Center
is the key that
makes our
school sponsorship
program successful"
