148 kids finish street education; 100 to proceed to elementary

A total of 148 children will graduated from a street education program sponsored by the Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (AFI) and the Children of Cebu Foundation Inc. (CCFI) yesterday at the Pari-an Drop-in Center in Cebu City.

Of the graduates, 100 will be sent by AFI to formal elementary education starting this coming school year.

The 100 children are composed of the top 20 performers from the program’s five locations—sitio Paradise in Kinasang-an, Pardo; Barrio Daspan in T. Padilla; Pier Area in Tejero; Barangay Outpost-Skin Clinic in Carreta; and A. Lopez Street in Labangon.

The scholarship requires to maintain a good academic standing and keep up with the required general weighted average.

After which, they would be considered for the foundation’s high school scholarship program. “We are happy that they are now ready to take another step in their learning journey,” said Redentor Betito, the program’s project leader who works with five street educators.

The program has three levels, with each level lasting for 10 months. The AFI has been supporting the CCFI’s street education program for the past 17 years.

The street education class was introduced as an informal way of teaching to children three- to six-years old who live in the city’s urban poor areas.

About 250 kids are supported every year. In these classes, children are taught basic literacy, numeracy, guidance and counseling, recreation activities, and spiritual and moral formation. These additional inputs prepare them for integration into formal education.