GK Village Partnership: Child & Youth Development
Child & Youth Development	While child sponsorship is vital for the empowerment of the next generation of a third world country, seen in isolation it does not actually achieve very much. Even if children are going to school, when they live in filthy slums and are malnourished their talents will be impaired and if after graduating from school they still find themselves in a third world country, they will only ever have third world opportunities to succeed. To really make child sponsorship valuable, we have to make it community-based (30-60 children and youth are sponsored at the same time) and transform the country that those children have been born into. Context of Community Gawad Kalinga’s programs are always in the context of community, hence its child and youth development program is directed towards providing a program for all the children of the residents in a GK village. Instead of focusing efforts on one-to-one child sponsorships, Gawad Kalinga looks to the over-all needs of the children and youth, and creates a special program to specifically address the priority concerns of the children and youth. It also focuses on the transition period, from ages 3-6, to 7-14 and 14 onwards, ensuring that the children who are part of the program in their early years are part of a sustainable program that can support them as they grow and work towards their personal dreams. Within the context of a GK community, GK implements a child and youth development program that starts with at least 30 children and 30 youth to start the program. Just like cluster development where a GK village has a minimum of 30 homes, this minimum number for the child and youth program is needed to be able to see visible impact in the lives of the children and youth in the community.   FUTURE FULL OF HOPE
The Programs	SIBOL (which means "to grow" in the Filipino language) GK provides value based education for pre-school children, aged 3 to 6 years old. In third world countries, pre-school education is only for the rich. Through the Sibol program, GK is able to prepare children of GK residents to enter elementary school, with important values and basic learning that equip them to enter formal schools. It also has a feeding program to help reduce the incidence of malnutrition among pre-school children. SAGIP (which means "to save a life" in the Filipino language) GK provides a support program for street children of elementary age, from 7 to 13 years old. They are provided with academic tutorials, sports and creative workshops as well as a very solid values formation program. The average elementary school classroom has about 75-100 children, a not-so-conducive environment for learning. SAGIP is a support program for children who are currently enrolled in school but need to explore and discover their talents. It also provides a tutorial program to help augment the public school system. SIGA (which means "to light" in the Filipino language) GK provides a strong youth rehabilitation program where juvenile delinquents are provided with a range of activities and counseling sessions to help them live productive lives without committing them to rehab institutions. They are then integrated into the social mainstream and are eventually gainfully employed. COMPONENTS OF SIBOL & SAGIP Child Development Programs: Pastoral and Values Formation. The program implements a values based curriculum that introduces a new value each month. Each activity focuses on the development of the child. At the end of each quarter, the child is evaluated, with the help of their parents. Approach to these sessions may be in a form of teaching, film showing, story telling, role playing or puppet show, or a field trip, and a series of sports and creative trainings. Health. This component focuses on teaching the children the value of cleanliness starting with themselves, then their homes, the environment, and the society at large. Each month, the members are taught proper personal hygiene. They are also provided with a hygiene kit and taught during sessions to wash their hands, brush their teeth and care for their bodies. Social Environment Development. GK believes in creating a social environment that supports a child’s desire for change. GK provides activities that will contribute to creating a good social environment for the members to build healthy relationships sharing the same ideals and aspirations. This also includes attendance in an annual Leaders’ Conference where children from all over the Philippines and other countries come together. COMPONENTS OF SIGA Youth Development Program: Pastoral and Values Formation. GK youth receive a regular values formation program that is incorporated as they conduct skills, sports or arts training. A caring environment is also created for these youth where they feel understood and are motivated to give up bad habits and replace them with good values. Health. GK youth are also taught proper personal hygiene so that they can become a good example to younger children. This also helps improve their chances of getting a job or earn the respect of their peers since they are properly groomed and carry themselves with dignity. Sports/Creative Training. Some GK youth are out of school, not because they are not intelligent but because they have little self-esteem and are not motivated. The Sports and Creative Training are a good way to bring out their passion and creativity and help them dream again. Skills Training. GK youth are encouraged to either go back to school or to build up their skills to be able to become young entrepreneurs or find a decent job to support their family and build a bright future. GK monitors the academic performance of the youth who are in school, and help those who are out of school to find regular jobs or start small businesses that can augment income and make them productive again.
GK's CYD Package	GK Child & Youth Development Package ........ $9,300 SIBOL (approximately 30-50 children) SAGIP (approximately 50-70 children) SIGA (approximately 30-40 youths) The USD 9,300 package is designed to support whatever local partnerships the GK caretaker teams are initiating. This often includes a partnership with other schools to provide sports and art classes for the children, and sometimes even scholarships for promising students. This also includes partnership with a committed group to provide the regular tutorials that the children need, especially during examinations and at crucial points in their life when they are applying for bigger schools. A whole range of local partnerships are being initiated and the USD 9,300 becomes the seed fund to pursue these partnerships and ensure that the programs have some basic resources. As a partner, you will be assigned a specific batch (e.g. Bilbao Village Batch ‘2006), and you and your group can build a relationship with this batch. You will be provided a Quarterly Report outlining the activities, and at the end of the year, you will receive a Batch Report showcasing the achievements of the Batch, as well as all the local partnerships and initiatives that have contributed to making the program a success. Each community is unique, and their needs vary from one village to the next. GK provides a template for the use of the USD 9,300 Child & Youth Development package, but every community will provide a proposal for the specific fund use and the priority programs. This can then become your marketing tool for getting other partners to get involved.