Access to education is a critical component to overcoming poverty. In the Philippines, drop-out rates double as children reach secondary school and there are more than 11 million out-of-school youth, according to UNICEF. Almost a quarter of the country’s population, including a large percentage of children, live in poverty.

The Tuloy Foundation goes beyond providing a home for at-risk youth. Once off the streets, foundation participants are removed from a life exposed to begging, theft, drugs and prostitution, among other negative influences. Children must be at least 9 years old to enter the foundation’s school program which begins in first grade and continues through technical training. Those who are just coming in off the streets receive food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, recreation, education and skills training. Older youth pursue technical training in a variety of technologies including automotive, electrical, welding and woodworking in addition to other studies. Participants also have the ability to access on-the-job training in sponsor companies.

“It is up to each individual youth to make the most of the programs being offered,” says Fr. Evangelista. “Youth decide if they want to stay living at the foundation until they are 18, and if so, spend the last 18 months with us taking technical and vocational training to prepare for employment after graduation.”

Father Evangelista was able to expand the program in 1999 through a partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development which leased 4.5 hectares of land in Alabang, the third largest district in Muntinlupa. In addition to residential and educational facilities, youth can take classes at the Tuloy Nature Therapy Center, a retreat that introduces these former street children to the beauty of nature. Offering classes in farming and agriculture, the center features sustainable organic aquaponics and a composting farm that provides food for the students and generates income for the center from the community.

In 2014, Capital One Philippines Support Service Corp. (COPSSC), the global business processing services arm of the United States based Capital One Financial Corp., opened a new learning facility at Tuloy’s Don Bosco School in Alabang. The facility houses Tuloy’s Call Center Readiness Program, a 13-month training program designed by Capital One Philippines to teach students key competencies required for entry-level positions in business processing outsourcing and other service industries.

The Call Center Readiness program expanded the current academic and vocational training offerings at the Don Bosco School. In the first seven months of the program, students receive intensive classroom training in the English language and computer basics as well as the fundamentals of customer service. In the final six months of the program, students receive interactive hands-on training at the new learning facility and upon successful completion, are given the opportunity to gain permanent job placement at Capital One Philippines.

The students at Tuloy are given many opportunities they would otherwise not have both inside and outside the classroom. Thanks to the generosity of private donors and sponsors, students can choose extra-curricular activities such as gardening, dancing and rugby. The importance of team sports, such as rugby, helps student learn teamwork, respect for others and discipline, all skills that can be applied to other aspects of life.

“The Tuloy Foundation provides education and a wide variety of opportunities to poor youth, helping them break the cycle of poverty,” adds Fr. Evangelista. “With programs like those offered at Tuloy, Salesian missionaries in the Philippines work to meet the ever growing needs of street children to ensure that every child has the opportunity to reach his or her potential.”

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Sources:

Tuloy Foundation

UNICEF – Philippines

The post PHILIPPINES: Salesian-run Tuloy Foundation Provides Education and Social Support to More than 800 Street Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Tuloy Foundation, founded in 1993 by Father Marciano “Rocky” G. Evangelista of the Salesians of Don Bosco, is an organization committed to educating poor, homeless children in the Philippines. Beginning with just 12 children, the foundation’s school program has since grown to include a comprehensive curriculum utilizing multiple facilities. To date, thousands of street children have created successful lives for themselves with the help of Tuloy.

Youth must be at least nine years old to enter the foundation’s school program which begins in first grade and continues through high school and includes technical training. Youth who are just coming off the streets receive food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, recreation and education and skills training. Older youth pursue vocational training in a variety of technologies, including automotive, electrical, welding and woodworking in addition to other studies. Students also have the ability to access on-the-job training in sponsor companies.

Recently, Capital One Philippines Support Service Corp. (COPSSC), the global business processing services arm of the United States based Capital One Financial Corp., opened a new learning facility at Tuloy’s Don Bosco School in Alabang, the third largest district in Muntinlupa City in the Philippines. The facility will house Tuloy’s Call Center Readiness Program, a 13-month training program designed by Capital One Philippines to teach students key competencies required for entry-level positions in business processing outsourcing (BPO) and other service industries.

The Call Center Readiness program expands the current academic and vocational training offerings at the Don Bosco School. In the first seven months of the program, students receive intensive classroom training in the English language and computer basics as well as the fundamentals of customer service. In the final six months of the program, students receive interactive hands-on training at the new learning facility and upon successful completion, are given the opportunity to gain permanent job placement at Capital One Philippines.

“Tuloy’s new learning facility forms part of COPSSC’s thrust to make a positive difference in the communities where we live and work, supporting youth education, especially for disadvantaged children. We will constantly take steps to partner with local organizations to uplift the community’s well-being,” says Paul Townsend COPSSC’s general manager in a recent Asian Journal article about the opening of the new facility.

“The local BPO industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the country today. We hope that by providing these students with education specific to contact center employment, we will help arm them with the skills necessary to enter the industry, leading to better job placement and greater opportunities in the long term,” adds Townsend in the same article.

The new learning facility was made possible by seed funding from Capital One Philippines, which was announced last October in conjunction with the company’s grand opening. In addition to the seed funding, the company has invested more than 3000 employee volunteer hours. The new program launched on Sept. 1 and accommodates up to 30 students. The facility features a lecture room and a fully-equipped computer lab with 15 personal computers that can facilitate business processing simulations.

“Traditional classroom learning is an important part of any education program, and when students are able to take those skills and practice them in an interactive learning environment, there is added educational value,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesians are preparing students for long-term stable employment. Partnerships like this one with Capital One Philippines, help students find and retain employment while providing a steady workforce for growing industries.”

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Sources:

Asian Journal – Capital One opens learning facility for Tuloy Don Bosco School

Tuloy Foundation

Salesian Missions – Philippines

UNICEF – Philippines

The post PHILIPPINES: Tuloy Foundation and Capital One Partner to Bring Technical Training and Employment Opportunities to Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.