VOH Child Learns Acceptance, Leadership in BB

Alvin Ramos (center) leads the BB Magdalena squad in opening an event
at Rose of Sharon House of Friendship.

Visions of Hope child Alan Vincent Ramos, or Alvin, found acceptance in Jesus Christ and learned leadership when he became active in Boys’ Brigade (BB), VOH’s character and leadership development program for children and youth.

Alvin ran away from home when he was 13 to escape his stepfather’s frequent beatings, especially when the latter was drunk. In the street, he got into drugs and brawls. He thought he would hurt others to get back at his stepfather.

He later moved to a street in Manila, informally called Sarimanok, where he met Frankie Libre, another street dweller. Frankie served as a father figure to Alvin during the many years that he lived on the street. Alvin remembers that Frankie disappeared for a time and when he returned, there was something different about him. He started leading feeding programs, talked frequently about God, and often asked Alvin if he wanted to leave the street. (Frankie had become a Christian and a worker of the Kaibigan Ministry. Read his story here: http://peopleblessingpeople.tumblr.com/post/2479622041/a-fresh-start.)

Alvin was 15 when he finally decided to embrace change. This started with an short yet enlightening jeepney ride to the Center for Community Transformation (CCT) Kaibigan Center, a drop-in center ministering to street dwellers. For some reason, none of the jeepney passengers moved to offer him a seat and he ended up sitting on the step board. He realized that he stank and was grubby all over.

Frankie told him that if he would clean himself up and appear presentable, people would respect him and willingly give way. Alvin followed Frankie’s advice and soon saw a change in how others treated him.

Alvin says that although what others think about you matters, that is nothing compared to how the Lord views you. “Even when I was dirty, in the eyes of the Lord, I was worthy of love and acceptance,” he says. Because he received the Lord’s forgiveness, Alvin has been able to do the difficult task of releasing forgiveness to his stepfather.

Now 18, Alvin stays at the CCT Magdalena Campus and is finishing his high school education by way of the Accelerated Christian Education curriculum. He is a squad leader of the Boys’ Brigade First Magdalena Company. “In the BB leadership training activities,” he said, “I learned to show respect to those who are above and below me, just as Christ showed respect to the Father as well as to every person around Him.” He says he desires to live a life of patience, obedience, and respect – characteristics that are all in Christ and are required of leaders like him.

VOHCS Child Survives Kidney Disease

Benchil Villorejo, seven, had been looking forward to joining his class’s nutrition month parade on July 29, 2013, but when the big day came around, he was just too weak to come to school. Dr. John Tabije and nurse Lynn Chan of the Visions of Hope (VOH) health team who were in Isla Puting Bato for their weekly community visit went to his home. Seeing that Benchil's face and abdomen were swollen and that he had difficulty breathing, they brought him immediately to the Ospital ng Maynila.

Dr. Tabije examines Benchil's health, especially as his
swelling becomes apparent. 

Laboratory tests revealed that Benchil was suffering from nephrotic syndrome, a kidney disease that causes the body to lose protein through the urine. His parents – a DVD vendor and a housewife – knew about his condition but did not earn enough to sustain his medication. He also had a few sores.

Benchil is one of 25 pupils of the VOH Christian School at Isla Puting Bato. The school provides free preschool education to children from families that have informally settled living near Manila’s North Harbor.

At the hospital, Benchil’s parents tapped into charity funds for some of his bills. VOH covered other expenses, and staff even braved floods to bring payment for laboratory tests. 

On his second week in the hospital, Benchil’s doctor announced that his condition was critical. The news rattled his family, but the health team’s faith remained strong and they mobilized more people to pray for his recovery. Benchil’s blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels  went down significantly the following week, showing a big improvement in his kidneys. A CT scan also produced normal results, the swelling of his face and abdomen subsided, and he was taken off the ventilator. Early during his fifth week in the hospital, his mother sent a message that Benchil had started walking again!

Benchil was discharged from the hospital on August 29 and is excited to get back to school again. “He is a bright student, he will be able to easily catch up with school work,” Teacher Elsa de Leon, who tutors him at home for the meantime, said. 

Benchil, whose face and body are no longer swollen,
stays at home to recuperate. 

__________________________

According to Dr. Tabije, Benchil’s malnourished condition became evident when the swelling left his face and body. His sores were also caused by poor nutrition. He is being given a nutritional drink and multivitamins daily to help him gain weight and be properly nourished. Please keep praying for Benchil’s health and for provision for his family.

Update as of September 24: 
Benchil has resumed joining classes at VOHCS Isla Puting Bato since September 16. Able to catch up with required modules, he got an average grade of 92% in the first periodical examinations. He ranked fifth in his class. 

Update as of December 17:
It is with heavy hearts that we momentarily say goodbye to Benchil. Last Saturday, he was rushed to the hospital for pneumonia and he passed away the following day. We thank God for his life and his story of hope. His teachers say that he was determined to learn new things and every time he smiled at them, their tiredness went away. Benchil will be missed but we know that he is in a much better place with our Heavenly Father.

VOH Child Wins at Swimming Meet

“I was determined to give it my all and I succeeded,” says Visions of Hope (VOH) child Angelica Zafe, 15, in Filipino describing her swimming victory at the 2nd Nikki Coseteng Motivational Splash. “Unlike a few others who stopped in the middle of their laps because they thought they were losing, I kept going.” 

Angelica placed third in the extra heat of the 50 meter freestyle for girls and bagged second place in the final round of the same category. The meet, held at Diliman Preparatory School on May 12, 2013, was organized by the Philippine Swimming League (PSL) and was a gathering of more than 400 PSL-trained beginner teams from different parts of the country.

Angelica Zafe (in black shirt) celebrates with other members of the
Center for Community Transformation (CCT) Swimming Team.
Others  from CCT-VOH who won in the extra heat round were 
John Mark Torres, Jervie Magat, Rico Meras, John Paulo Caparas, 
and Jennylou Lumbang.  

Her interest in swimming, Angelica says, began while growing up in the densely populated district of Tondo in Manila where she used to sneak out of the house to swim with friends.

Angelica and sister Angelina have been in the care of VOH for over a year now. Their father, a janitor, and their mother, who does occasional domestic jobs, did not earn enough to provide for the family. Though the Zafe siblings were able to go to school, they constantly worried about not being able to submit school projects. Starting late 2011, the family resorted to collecting recyclable waste from the street. But still, that was not enough. They were evicted from their rented house, and the siblings had to drop out of school.

Tears well up in Angelica’s eyes as she describes four months of living in Luneta Park. Flattened cardboard boxes served as their bed. A thin plastic mat under these kept water from seeping through. When it rained they would sit close with their few belongings between them, holding another plastic sheet over their heads. “At night I would try to stay awake as long as I could to keep watch,” Angelica says.

Looking back, Angelica realizes how precious a full night of sleep is, something she is able to experience at VOH Rose of Sharon House of Friendship (ROS) in Bay, Laguna. She is thankful for food that is more than enough as well. In the eighth grade at nearby Masaya National High School now, she has grown healthier and fit for sports training.

From April 1 to May 12 this year, Angelica and other VOH children were trained by PSL coaches. The crude strokes she learned when she was younger were corrected and made suitable for competition. “Swimming for three and a half hours five days a week was not easy,” she says, “But all the hard work paid off when I joined the swimming event.”

Angelica looks forward to more swimming training at ROS. She also wants to try out for her school’s swim team soon.

A coach from PSL closely checks VOH children's strokes. 

VOH children learn to swim laps in ROS's six-lane pool.

The CCT Swimming Team warms up before competing at the
2nd Nikki Coseteng Motivational Splash.

VOH Children Receive Early Christmas Gifts, Serve Others

Whoops of delight filled the room as 53 Visions of Hope children opened shoe box gifts to find colorful toys, school supplies, fashion accessories, clothes, candies, toiletries, and letters from the givers.

It was the 24th of July, but for the children from the Rose of Sharon House of Friendship (ROS) and Magdalena boarding schools in Laguna, it seemed like Christmas. In the morning, they welcomed 34 Filipino and American volunteers from Operation Christmas Child (OCC) with leis and music and a program where some VOH girls did a dance interpretation of Hillsong’s “I Believe.” In the afternoon, they helped the OCC volunteers give out shoe box gifts to about 300 children at the neighboring Puypuy Elementary School. This became an opportunity for them to serve others in their community.

OCC is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization. Through OCC, volunteers collect and pack gifts in shoe boxes for distribution to needy children around the world.

After hearing about the life-changing love of Jesus Christ in stories told by the OCC volunteers, the VOH children lined up to receive their Christmas gifts. They were instructed to close their eyes and, while holding their gifts, pray about what they wanted to find. At the count of ten, all of them opened their gifts.

Eleven-year-old VOH child Carmela Panis, who used to live on the street with her family, said she wanted to receive shoes, sunglasses, toiletries, and school supplies but was glad to get necklaces, combs, a pair of cloth slippers, lip gloss, wallet, a small bag, drawing pads, and adhesive bandages. She described these as beautiful.

Thirteen-year-old Janelie Clavel, on the other hand, giggled about getting a box meant for a younger girl. But that did not make her less grateful for her new Barbie doll, as well as for the new clothes which she prayed for. She also got toiletries and flash cards to help her practice addition and subtraction.

Since she moved to ROS, Carmela said, she is able to eat three times a day and have a permanent dwelling, instead of having to always wander around. She also found people who mentor and correct her. Her mother, who stayed at the Center for Community Transformation Kaibigan Center in Manila for a time, died of cancer last year, and Carmela misses her dearly. She said that aside from the provision of her basic needs, she prays to be content despite her loss, and to know God more and draw nearer to Him. She thanked her shoe box giver and the volunteers who came to share their lives with her, and whom the Lord used to help change her life. 

Janelie and her older brother Michael were referred to VOH a year ago after he ran away from their home in Cavite. Janelie had to quit school after the fourth grade because her parents could no longer afford to send her and her five siblings to school. Today, she enjoys reading and writing. She related that in her former school, she learned unruly behavior from her classmates, but at ROS, she appreciates the rules she has to follow and the teachers who give enough attention to her learning needs. She dreams of also becoming a teacher someday and of taking her family out of poverty.

Carmela Panis interacts with a volunteer
from OCC while checking her shoe box gift.

Janelie Clavel (left) strikes a happy pose
after opening her gift.

OCC  volunteers, seen here with VOH children, also helped cover books for the ROS library. 

VOH children line up and help give gifts to the children
from Puypuy Elementary School.

VOH Child Thankful for Dental Mission

“Every time I had toothaches, I felt so much pain I could literally punch others. But that changed in a matter of minutes after two of my teeth were extracted. I feel so relieved,” said Elmer (name changed due to the sensitive nature of his story), 16, one of 73 Visions of Hope (VOH) children who received free dental services recently. Two of Elmer's teeth were also saved with flouride application.

In a dental mission led by the Philippine Dental Association of Quezon City (PDA-QC), children from the Magdalena and Puypuy VOH boarding schools attended a lecture on oral health, participated in a toothbrush drill, and got oral health kits. Thirty-six of them underwent fluoride application, 23 had teeth extracted, and one received oral prophylaxis. The dental services were done at the Rose of Sharon House of Friendship in Laguna on July 16, 2013. 

Elmer had been staying at the CCT Magdalena Campus for barely a month when the dental mission was held. Before that, he lived on the street for four years. He sniffed glue, begged for money, and stole from jeepney passengers and resting travelers to make it through a day. A turning point for him was when he and his friends preyed on a couple sleeping along Roxas Boulevard. The couple’s cries of despair upon discovering they lost all their money filled him with guilt and he wanted out. 

Now that he is part of VOH, Elmer dreams of someday reuniting with his parents and three siblings. He was just 12 when he ran away from home in Tacloban City after an argument with his parents. He hopes they have already forgiven him.

In the meantime, he enjoys newfound friendships in Magdalena. He likes that he is able to play basketball and soccer, and tend the garden with the other boys. He regards daily baths, sufficient food, and sleep as blessings because he was deprived of these on the street.

Elmer thanks the volunteer dentists from PDA-QC for giving him his much needed dental care. He prays God would grant them strength and more opportunities to serve more children from the street.

A VOH child undergoes an oral checkup from a
PDA-QC volunteer dentist.

VOH children follow instructions in brushing their
teeth while a volunteer dentist demonstrates.  

VOH Children, Families Bond on 1st Family Day

The children at the two Visions of Hope (VOH) boarding schools in Laguna have a common wish – to see their families every chance possible. On June 29, 2013, that wish was granted when VOH organized the first family day to bring the children and their families together in a time of worship, celebration, and dialogue.

Frances (left) and Jireh (middle) gets a tight embrace
from their mother after they sang and gave her white roses.

The boarding schools, which house children who otherwise would grow up on the street, are run by the Visions of Hope Foundation, a member of the Center for Community Transformation (CCT) Group of Ministries. The parents of about 50 % of the children are actively involved with the CCT’s Kaibigan Ministry which reaches out to specifically to street dwellers. Some of the parents are employed as service staff at the CCT support office or at branch offices, and others have jobs as construction workers. Five of the children are orphans formerly under the care of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The parents of most of the rest of the children still live on the street, often attending CCT’s feeding program.

Almost half of the 73 children had visitors on family day, the highest number in years, as noted by VOH staff. Previously, the parents paid simultaneous scheduled visits once every two months but this was the first time there was a set of planned activities they were able to enjoy together.

The day began with the weekly corporate worship service, where the children sang and danced. They also offered white roses and a thank you song to their families. Those who did not have visitors gave roses to their house parents and teachers. Parents and children who celebrated their birthdays in June were surprised with birthday cakes. Parents joined the games that followed, while their children cheered, and they shared meals during lunch time. A dialogue with the parents – which included reports on health, academics, and home care – wrapped up the day. In the meeting, parents expressed their opinions and asked questions about partnering with VOH in taking care of the children.

The boarding school in the town of Bay houses boys ages 3 to 12 and girls ages 4 to 15. The Magdalena boarding school houses boys 9 to 19 of age. 

Grace, who danced during the program, is glad
that she can spend time with mother Nida. 

Frances Bumby, nine, is proud about the fact that her younger sister, Jireh, sang and danced during the program. She was also pleased that her mother, who visits them regularly, won second prize in a food-eating contest. Frances wishes that family days will be done more often.

In 2012, she and her family were stuck in Luneta, a public park in Manila, for a few days because they did not have fare to return to their rented house in Navotas, a city directly north of Manila. They joined a CCT-led feeding program, and she and Jireh were later referred to VOH. Frances prays for a permanent home and for God’s daily protection to be upon her family. 

Unlike Frances, 15-year-old Mary Grace Torres said that before family day, she last saw her mother, Nida, at the end of 2012. This is because she tells Nida to save the money she would have spent visiting. Grace said that even though she is able to talk to her mother on the phone every weekend, her presence on family day was so much better.

Grace’s family lived on the street when she was eight years old after her father died, and Nida had no choice but to place Grace and her two siblings in different foster homes as they were growing up. Nida now works as service staff at the CCT support office. Grace prays that her family would stay strong in the Lord, and that she would be able to help them get out of poverty someday.

VOH children who were born in June celebrated their birth month with cakes.

Children and other parents cheered for fathers who joined an eating contest.

Frances's mother (second from right) won second in an eating
contest among mothers.

VOH-PSC Sports Training Becomes A Community Affair

The Visions of Hope Foundation (VOH), in partnership with the Philippine Sports Commission’s (PSC) Women in Sports Program, hosted a free three-day sports training in May. The training was primarily intended for the CCT-VOH Rose of Sharon House of Friendship Boarding School in Laguna but an invitation was extended to children in the community, and 120 boys and girls from Puypuy also joined the sports clinics.

The VOH boarding school, located in Brgy. Puypuy, Bay, ministers to children who used to be street dwellers. Out of about fifty children who are housed in the facility, 32 boys and girls who are between the ages of six and seventeen joined the sports training.

PSC Commissioner and former swimming Olympian Gillian Akiko Thomson-Guevarra sent some of PSC's best coaches to give the Puypuy children quality training. Coach Gregory Colmenares led swim classes attended by 41 children, 62 children learned badminton from Coach Dennis Orense, Coach Roy Cortel taught 11 children table tennis, and Coach Jarod Hubalde instructed 38 children on the basics of volleyball. 

The parents from the community were at first hesitant to enroll their children because some of them thought that the boarding school was scouting for students. However, when they learned about VOH’s work and PSC’s community programs, they were happy to let their children sign up, and the sports training became a community affair. VOH children made new friends with their Puypuy neighbors as they learned a new sport together and shared meals in the shade of trees on-campus. Several parents volunteered in keeping the children in order while the sports clinics were ongoing. Barangay officials also pitched in by allowing the use of the Puypuy covered court for the volleyball activities.

The PSC coaches said that several children showed much potential. They gave VOH volleyball and nets, table tennis rackets, and badminton sets so that the children can continue practicing their chosen sport. The campus has a 25-meter long pool where the swimmers can continue to train.

Lala Salili, VOH executive director, said, "Thank God for sports and that through classes like these the children can learn physical self-discipline, find out what it means to work with a team, and develop socially and emotionally."

The sports training was held on May 7 to 9, 2013.

To read a related story on PSC’s Women in Sports Program, click here: http://www.web.psc.gov.ph/index.php/9-news/68-women-in-sports-sa-naga.

Coach Jarod leads the volleyball clinic in Brgy. Puypuy's covered court.

Girls each get to try serving the ball.

Children practice their strokes before plunging into the pool.  

Parents and children from VOH and Puypuy community share meals and stories during lunch. 

Taguig Youth Gains Confidence Through BB

With the Philippine flag behind her, Brigada Bata Taguig
member Carolyn Abella executes the BB salute.

“Natutunan ko na pahalagahan ang aking sarili bilang kabataan...,” (I learned to value myself as a young person….) relates fourteen-year-old Carolyn Abella about her experience as a Senior Squad member of Brigada Bata 2nd Taguig Company in Taguig City, Metro Manila.

Vision of Hope Foundation’s Brigada Bata (BB) is the Filipino version of Boys’ Brigade, an international uniformed Christian youth organization originating from Great Britain. Brigada Bata instills discipline, leadership, entrepreneurship, love for God, and love for country among pupils of Visions of Hope Christian Schools (VOHCS) as well as among poor children in communities being reached by the Center for Community Transformation (CCT).

When she joined BB in April 2011, Carolyn said her respect for her parents was dwindling because of a problem her family was dealing with at that time. She was rebellious and did not know God personally. But because of her BB training, she said she allowed God to enter her heart and change her life. She started reading the Bible, and said her relationship with her parents was restored after BB taught her about obedience. 

She also started serving others. One way is by helping train VOHCS preschool students to perform BB drills. 

“I learned about my worth as a young person through BB,” Carolyn said. Her newfound confidence and the discipline instilled by BB have made her more active in school activities and helped her excel academically. “Gusto ko laging gawin ang pinakamabuti o ‘yong best ko sa lahat ng ginagawa ko bilang isang BB at bilang isang anak ng Diyos.” (I strive to do my best in all I do because I am a Brigada Bata member and a child of God.) Out of 156 BB members in Taguig, Carolyn was one of eight who received a target award on February 16, 2013 for faithfully attending BB meetings in the last two years.

VOH Health Team Equips Volunteers

“Bakit ngayon lang?” (Why only now?) asked Lilia Cepe of Taguig as she expressed gratitude for the wealth of information and the training she gained since she became a Visions of Hope (VOH) community health volunteer.

Lilia is one of 51 community health volunteers mentored by VOH doctors and nurses so that they are able to conduct lectures on several health-related topics in communities where the Center for Community Transformation works. Some of the health volunteers were also taught how to take blood pressure as well as read blood sugar level, body temperature, and body weight using basic medical equipment.

VOH community health volunteers from Caloocan City show their 
certificates after attending a VOH training on tuberculosis in March. 
Health training sessions such as this enable volunteers to train 
others in their community. (Photo by the VOH health team)  

In 2012, VOH health volunteers led 440 training sessions on cancer awareness, oral health, tuberculosis, asthma and pneumonia, family planning, leptospirosis, anemia and leukemia, diabetes and hypertension, eye diseases, proper nutrition, and, dengue and malaria. The lectures were held in poor communities in Metro Manila, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, Cabanatuan City, Angeles City, Davao, General Santos City, Malungon, and Cotabato.   

The VOH health team recognizes the volunteers’ contribution in spreading health information. "The role these volunteers play in saving lives in poor neighborhoods is significant," said Dr. John Tabije, Peer Servant for VOH Health Care Program.  "Those who attend the lectures will be able to recognize symptoms of dreaded diseases immediately and hopefully seek medical help before it's too late, they will understand the importance of taking medicine as scheduled, and will generally be more knowledgeable of the illnesses that can affect them and their families." 

During a Christmas fellowship on December 13, 2012,  Juditha Jordan of Las Pinas was honored for conducting the most number of health lectures in 2012 --  11 lectures attended by a total of 191 participants.  "Sagot sa panalangin ko ang pagiging bahagi ng VOH" (My involvement with VOH is an answer to prayer), Lilia Cepe said during the same activity.

Aside from training community health volunteers, the VOH health team holds clinic consultations, medical and dental missions, Operation Tuli (circumcision), feeding, and pap smear and blood sugar tests, among others.

Formal Groundbreaking Held for VOH Christian School

Left to right: Lawrence delos Santos, Visions of Hope Foundation, Inc. (VOH) vice chairman; Ramon Rocha III,
VOH trustee;  Ruth Uy, VOH treasurer; Ruth Callanta, CCT president; James Tioco, VOH chairman.

A formal groundbreaking ceremony was held on August 19, 2011 to mark the beginning of construction of the Visions of Hope Christian School at the Rose of Sharon House of Friendship in Puypuy, Bay, Laguna.  Facilities to be built include a chapel, a two-storey academic building, a three-story dormitory building, a cafeteria, and a six-lane swimming pool.

The VOH Christian School in Puypuy is a boarding school for children from street-dwelling families. It is an offshoot of the Kaibigan Ministry, CCT's ministry to street-dwellers.  

The Rose of Sharon House of Friendship is a two-hectare piece of property donated to CCT by board trustee Rosie Chew shortly before she passed away in 2007. The place was Miss Chew's private rest house; it was open to the Christian public as a venue for spiritual retreats and the like. 

It is the vision and prayer of CCT to raise the former street children according to Proverbs 22:6,  “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

VOH hopes to:

• see the children develop in character
• see the children have a personal and growing relationship with the Lord.
• give them academic skills that will prepare them for the outside world as well as develop in them a sense of nationalism and cultural rootedness. 

It is hoped that the children will grow up with a sense of purpose, and receive better life opportunities than their parents ever had, and that when they are grown they will in turn give back to the community and help those in situations similar to where they were before.

Opening prayer: Pastor Dave Campanero

Shiera Ondangan leads the singing of Holy Ground: "We're standing on holy ground, for the Lord is here and where
He is, is holy."

"We hope to build a home for hundreds of street children, that they may come out of the darkness into the light,"
says Lawrence delos Santos in his welcome remarks. "Hope with us!"  

Stephanie delos Santos, VOH Christian School trustee, describes the facilities to be constructed.

Dance offering: CCT Dance Troupe

Jervie Lumbay shares his testimony: "My father was always out of a job. My grandmother didn't want us to
live with her anymore. My family had to start living on the street. We had to beg for food." Jervie
says he wants to be a missionary someday.

Esmeralda Javines, former street dweller: "Things I cannot give my children, the Lord provides through CCT.

Rose of Sharon children sing: "Jesus is my superhero!"

James Tioco, VOH Foundation chairman, shares a message from God's Word: "There is something for us to
discover in Nehemiah 3. The builders of the wall of Jerusalem were united, they were very dedicated to their
task, they had a sense of neighborhood or community. They were grouped according to their skills or talents
-- we need people with various skills to build God's ministry. They did quality work."
His challenge: "God put us here for a purpose. May his vision for bringing eternal hope truly be fulfilled.
Let us search our hearts for what our role will be."

Mrs. Celia Padrid, wife of Bay Mayor Jose Padrid says: "The town of Bay and my own home are open to VOH people."

Anastacia Erasga, Bay social welfare officer says: "The Bay local council is active in programs for the protection
of children."

Herberto Jose Miranda, schools division assistant superintendent for the Department of Education, 
Laguna: "Zero drop-out rate is a medium term development goal of the DepEd."

Dionisio Montalvo, pastor of Grand Harvest Church

James Tioco, Stephanie delos Santos, trustee of VOH Christian School, and Bertram Lim, CCT chairman,
lower a time capsule into the ground.  The capsule contains a Bible and a copy of the VOH vision
and mission.

Mrs. Ruth Uy says a prayer of dedication.

Mr. Bertram Lim pronounces the benediction.

Former street children provide music for the event.

After the formal program, VOH board and staff, guests and children enjoy a fellowship dinner. 

Ruth Callanta chats with the leader and members of the Magdalena Drum and Bugle Corps.

A family rescued from a life of street dwelling.

Photos by Myra Gaculais del Rosario

Center For Community Transformation (CCT)

The Center for Community Transformation Group of Ministries is an organized Christian response against poverty and social injustice.  This is carried out through the fusion of social development initiatives and evangelical mission in a uniquely Filipino context.  It serves urban and rural poor communities throughout the Philippines in pursuit of its desire to see changed lives, strong families, and transformed communities centered on the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  

It was founded in 1992 by development practitioners who believe that development strategies could best be achieved by enriching the spirituality of a person.  Over the years, the Lord has enabled the organization to deliver wholistic, sustainable, and integrated community-based programs and services that cater to the needs of the whole family.  These services have opened opportunities for the community partners to grow and reach their full potentials as individuals created in the image and likeness of God. 

VISION

We hope to see Christ-centered faith communities where Jesus Christ is honored and worshiped and where people live in dignity and sufficiency in accordance with God's plan for a just, humane, and caring society. 

MISSION

As followers of Jesus Christ, we join the Holy Spirit in God's work of transforming lives and communities. 

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

• Provision of wholistic and integrated services
• Training of servant leaders who will act as agents of transformation
• Establishment of community-based organizations/institutions composed of the poor themselves which will serve as instruments for action and change

DISTINCTIVE

• We are Christian. We do everything for the glory of God, according to Biblical principles.
• We are Filipino. The Center for Community Transformation Group of Ministries was organized and is funded, governed, and managed by Filipinos.
• We are a Prayerful, Worshiping, Serving, Witnessing, Discipling, Learning and Teaching group

TARGET GROUPS

• Micro-entrepreneurs
• Informal Service Workers
• Street dwellers
• Children and Youth
• B'laans