Childhope International, founded as a non-governmental organisation in 1986, was the first international movement on behalf of street children. Established under the guidance of leading global organisations including UNICEF, the World Council of Churches and Save the Children Sweden, Childhope International was soon looking to set up regional offices in the US, UK and Asia.
Ms. Teresita Silva, then a full-time consultant for UNICEF Philippines, represented UNICEF Philippines at a Childhope International Board Meeting, where she was tasked with establishing a regional office for Childhope in Southeast Asia. In May 1989, Childhope hosted the First Asian Regional Conference for Street Children in Manila, cementing its regional presence in Southeast Asia and eventually covering all of Asia. Childhope Asia, the regional office of Childhope International, opened in June 1989 in Manila.
When Childhope International decided to stop its operations, however, Ms. Silva decided to continue the work of Childhope Asia and re-registered the NGO with the Securities and Exchange Commission of the Philippines as ‘Childhope Asia Philippines, Inc.’ in 1995. From 2013 onwards, Childhope Asia Philippines, Inc. is known simply as Childhope Philippines.
Childhope Philippines is now completely independent of other Childhope organisations around the world including UK, USA and Haiti. Childhope Philippines is a locally incorporated, non-government organisation that continues its work and advocacy on behalf of street children in the Philippines together with its sister NGOs (FCED and Tahanan Sta. Luisa), a large network of other NGOs, national and local government units, international funding agencies, staff, consultants, volunteers, Board of Directors and with its founding President, Ms. Teresita Silva, at the helm of operations
The primary objective of the organization is to reduce the number of street children and prevent their proliferation. Our first priority is always to get them established in a safer environment – whether that means reuniting them with their families, placing them in an institution that will look after them or encouraging them to continue with their studies so that they can break the cycle of living on the streets.
Childhope aims to empower street children and their families, and to help them to gain access to a more developmental and productive future. Its banner program, The Street Education and Protection Program (STEP) believes in “education without borders”, where the Alternative Education sessions seek to make a difference in the lives of street children by giving them the opportunities for holistic development as well as the ability to learn to read and write. It provides for basic and urgent needs to support and ensure the continuous and holistic learning and development which include psychosocial interventions, medical and health services, paralegal assistance and skills training among street children. Childhope assists them to develop the values they need so they can grow up to become caring, confident, responsible, and resilient members of society.
Childhope also has the widest scope of program areas in terms of geographical reach as it covers 15 areas in 6 cities of Metro Manila, and reaches out to about 1,000 to 1,200 street children every year. Since its inception in 1995 up to the present, Childhope has already assisted about 10,500 street children.
