TACLOBAN CITY –The Tacloban Women and Children’s Shelter is set to conduct series of activities on Friday (April 5) to mark its 14th founding anniversary.
These activities include a Thanksgiving Mass, outdoor activities and games, prepared presentations by the women and children, and lastly, an awarding ceremony for the ones with exemplary school performance.
The facility was established in 2010 during the administration of former city mayor Cristina Romualdez.
The shelter caters to women and children who are victims of different types of abuse like sexual abuse.
In fact, out of the current 39 clients of the shelter, 20 of them were victims of sexual molestation.
To ensure the holistic recovery of the victims, the shelter also conducts regular check-ups and therapy sessions with city medical professionals for the victims.
The facility also provides their necessities such as food, clothes, shelter, and even free education.
According to Maria Madelyn Ebin, social welfare officer III, the women and children ‘live better’ in the shelter with some even begging them not to let them go back to their homes due to the comfort the shelter brings to them.
Moreover, the shelter also rescues children who are found on the street past curfew time. These children are classified as Children At Risk (CAR). These children are brought to the shelter and surrendered to their parents the next day.
The Tacloban city government provides funding for the shelter. However, financial struggles still arise.
(SAMANTHA MARGARETTE ODON, STEFTI INTERN)
