This week, Stairway Foundation, INC hosted the International School of Manila (ISM) for a 5-day long Youth to Youth camp called iCare (International Community Actively Responding to their Environment). And Maggie and I had the opportunity to film and photograph throughout the week!
The purpose of the camp is to expose the high school students from the International School to the diverse communities and social realities that exist in the Philippines, and for the students from ISM and the Stairway Kids to develop meaningful friendships in which they can learn from each other despite coming from vastly different backgrounds, economic divisions, and social strata.
The theme of iCare is based around child rights, particularly drawing from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), a treaty that deals with child-specific needs and rights, incorporating civil and political rights, social, economic and cultural rights, and protection rights. Stairway staff and social workers facilitate a creative and interactive schedule that introduces the ISM students to the violations of these rights that occur in the Philippines and world-wide. Students from ISM hear stories from Stairway Kids, view all 3 of Stairway's animations on child sexual abuse and exploitation, and watch Stairway's theatrical production of Cracked Mirrors. The week is full of learning, teaching, and realizing the reality and gravity of the issues discussed through relationship building with the Stairway Kids and staff.
The purpose of the camp is to expose the high school students from the International School to the diverse communities and social realities that exist in the Philippines, and for the students from ISM and the Stairway Kids to develop meaningful friendships in which they can learn from each other despite coming from vastly different backgrounds, economic divisions, and social strata.
The theme of iCare is based around child rights, particularly drawing from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), a treaty that deals with child-specific needs and rights, incorporating civil and political rights, social, economic and cultural rights, and protection rights. Stairway staff and social workers facilitate a creative and interactive schedule that introduces the ISM students to the violations of these rights that occur in the Philippines and world-wide. Students from ISM hear stories from Stairway Kids, view all 3 of Stairway's animations on child sexual abuse and exploitation, and watch Stairway's theatrical production of Cracked Mirrors. The week is full of learning, teaching, and realizing the reality and gravity of the issues discussed through relationship building with the Stairway Kids and staff.
In the photo above, the kids are all gathered to look at photos taken from the streets of Manila. In small groups the ISM and Stairway boys discussed the challenges children living on the streets endure: typhoons and flooding, drug use, gangs, homelessness, violence, sexual abuse and hunger. Afterwards they worked together to come up with possible solutions to combat these problems.
Throughout the week they participated in lots of creative activities. In the photo above, a group of kids is working on a quarter of the larger Mosiac Mandala that is featured in the image below. The Mandala symbolizes the fusion of creative efforts that together create a beautiful collaboration of colors and patterns to form the larger design.
The kids all packed into the Jeepney this morning, sad to part with the Stairway boys. It was incredible to see the connections that had developed between the two groups of kids over the past five days. We hope they remember and reflect on this experience in the coming days, months and years.
"I expected them to be closed and they wouldn't talk to other people that much and I also expected that I would give more to them than they would give to me, but that proved to be very very wrong.
I gained so much from this experience. These children have been through so much and to see them excelling at every aspect and living their lives to the fullest every day-- it makes me realize the things that I am taking for granted and makes me realize how shallow my problems really are.
And it made me realize no matter what you've been through, you can still go very far."
- Jess, 8th Grade ISM student
