Educational initiative for the out of school youth

The Initiative for the Street Families of Manila is formally on its 2nd year of operation. It has been able to provide basic services to a sizable number of street dwellers from district 5, Manila. It was also during this period that the project has learned more insights on how to best provide for the development of the said sector and in effect, reduce their numbers while at the same time increasing their productivity and most of all, remove them from the streets.

For this year 2012, the Initiative for the Street Families of Manila will be solely implemented by the Center for Social Concern and Action (COSCA) in partnership with external institutions. One of the strategies for a quicker reintegration process for the street dwellers is to introduce to them a supplemental source of livelihood by recycling plastic bags and transforming these into high end items. Most of our partner street families are familar with this since most are into scavenging whatever they can find on the streets and in garbage bins for items they can sell to junkshops. One notable difference is that they can now take in plastic bags, which are normally not being bought from the street dwellers. The project will now, because of a partnership with the Invisible Sisters, will be creating fashion and other high end items from these plastic bags to be sold to the general public. The ultimate aim of this approach is to equip the adult street dwellers with skills on how to crochet using the strips of recycled plastic bags instead of yarn.

To expedite the community reintegration process for the street families, they will be partnered with the members from the basic ecclesial community (BEC) of the Our Lady of the Assumption Parish. It is hoped that from the socialization process that will occur, a sense of security and belongingness will come upon the street dwellers and in effect, allow them to reintegrate within established barangays.