MANILA, December 23 ------ The German Embassy in the Philippines reiterated its support for the country's education projects, particularly for underprivileged children and abuse victims.
“A robust education system is the basis of a country’s economic success. Especially in a country like the Philippines, where the majority of the population is below the age of 30, it is essential to tap the full potential of the youth by investing in education," said German Ambassador to the Philippines Anke Reiffenstuel. The ambassador pointed out that basic education is a "pre-condition for being able to access important information." “Education is the key to raise awareness for yourself and your rights... It is important to know your rights and to fight for them... Education also helps you detect and dismantle mis – or – disinformation which is imperative in every vibrant democracy," she said.
The German Embassy said German charity organization Freunde der Erziehungskunst Rudolf Steiners (Freunde) has sponsored a program for underprivileged children in Iloilo to give them "a chance at education." "Waldorf School Gamot Cogon provides quality and holistic learning experiences to students who are encouraged to contribute to society and be a force for good... About one-third of the students are from Bgy. Libongcogon – a low-lying coastal area vulnerable to natural disasters such as typhoons and flooding," the embassy said in a statement.
Yearly, the school receives financial support from Germany through Freunde, allowing them to accept scholars and cover the costs of general school operations. “Over the past several years, we have seen the community children thrive and excel in their studies and in many various aspects. We also take pride in knowing that there has been a strong culture of inclusivity, harmony, and equality among our students who come from various backgrounds and from all walks of life,” Gamot Cogon Administrator Angel dela Flor said.
The German Embassy also partnered with Children’s Rehabilitation Center (CRC) for Sidhang Malaya (free expression), a conference from that brought together community-based organizations and young delegates from different parts of the country. Delegates shared human rights violations (HRVs) they have experienced themselves or witnessed in their respective provinces. Key issues were also discussed – ranging from militarization, extrajudicial killings, torture of minors, child prostitution and online sexual exploitation, education issues, to attacks on indigenous children and their communities.
According to CRC, human rights work has been hampered due to militarization in some rural areas and the “red-tagging” of civil society and human rights organizations. “As a result of Sidhang Malaya, the participating organizations have pledged to work together in upholding human rights and more particularly, children’s rights in their respective regions,” said CRC Executive Director Olivia Bernardo. The People’s Recovery, Empowerment and Development Assistance (PREDA) Foundation, Inc., another partner of the German Embassy, was also provided a grant worth P1.4 million this year. The funding is being used in projects that reduce the vulnerability of 470 women in the province of Zambales. Of this number, 400 are indigenous Aeta women and 70 are young girls who were victims of gender-based violence.
“A woman’s economic empowerment means she will no longer be financially dependent on the male breadwinner, who in the majority of cases that PREDA has reported is the perpetrator of sexual abuse,” Reiffenstuel said.
Source: news.abs-cbn.com
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