Marathon run for Streetlight Trust, supporting Kanlungan Sa ErMa.

I will be running Milton Keynes Marathon on Sunday 3rd May in aid of children charity Streetlight Trust who support a local Filipino charity Kanlungan Sa ErMa. I will be spending 2 weeks in Manila with both charities leading up to the event to better understand what I can do to better support their cause.

The Philippines is rapidly developing but with areas of extreme poverty, including in the capital city Manila. Below is a video from 2016 outlining some of the work.

Kanlungan sa ER-MA Ministry Inc. is a non-profit organization, licensed by the DSWD to operate as a child-caring agency and is registered with SEC. Furthermore, it is a member of NCSD, PHILCADSA, MWN-CNSP, PCMN, ABSNET and DDB-IAC.Find out more

Children in the Philippines face huge challenges. According to a recent UNICEF report, over 30 percent live below the basic needs poverty line. 33 percent have stunted growth because of malnutrition. Almost three million children are out of school and a staggering eight in ten children experience some form of violence, including physical, psychological, sexual or on-line abuse. Children who are driven by poverty to live or work on the streets are especially vulnerable.

Streetlight raises money to support Kanlungan-Sa-ErMa, a Philippine organisation that works with these vulnerable children. Kanlungan means refuge and that is what it has been for thousands of children since it was founded in 1988. Find out more about The Streetlight Trust

I have outlined some of the work Kanlungan do for those around them.

Street Education - Basic schooling, health education, first aid and community development projects for street children and families. Creating safer communities for children is all part of the work of the street education teams.

Residential Care & Training Centres - One for girls in Laguna Province just south of Manila and one for boys on Kanulngan’s own coffee farm. Here children live in an extended family environment, receive skills training and go to the local schools.

After Care Programme - This team helps reunite children with their families where that is possible. Young people are also supported through further education, university and transitioning into independent living.

Employment Projects - These include the Coffee Farm in Cavite Province south of Manila and a Coffee Shop in the heart of the city.