Zonta Club of Makati and Environs

PSYCHOLOGICAL CENTER FOR SEXUALLY ABUSED GIRLS

Leveling up at Marillac Hills

June 25, 2018

For well over 21 years, the goal of the ZCME Psychological Center has always been to provide the best psychological and emotional care for raped, sexually abused, trafficked girls.

Our main beneficiary is Marillac Hills, a government institution that has functioned as a haven for girls from around the Philippines. The girls are placed under the care of volunteers and a staff of two full time psychological therapists at the center while their cases are pending in court. As many as 300 children could be living in Marillac Hills at a given time, with many of them depressed and all have experienced trauma.

Some of the girls showed that they needed support long after their cases have been resolved. We recognize that many of the young women from the center who are of age, and whose cases had long been resolved experienced another, more pressing problem: they had no place to go home to. For them, life outside the center is a matter of survival. It is important to help beyond just therapy.

EXTENDING HELP BEYOND THERAPY: ZCME and MARILLAC HILLS

The past year has been very good to the center, with ZCME providing a number of great projects for the girls aside from the regular therapy that they receive. In October 2018, we celebrated United Nations Month with a colorful parade around the Marillac grounds. Last January, we had a math week filled with lots of fun games and activities designed to enhance their math and problem-solving skills. In July, we had Nutrition Month, where the girls learned about healthy eating which culminated with a boodle fight. These are all productive activities, but lately we’ve come to notice a need for something more.

This is why we enlisted the help of Lakewood School of Alabang and Bellevue Manila for the LEVEL UP Program. Under the program, we were able to sponsor an exclusive TESDA- Approved training program for the 20 of our Marillac girls who fell under the criteria. After completing the training at Lakewood, the girls were able tocomplete over 200 hours of on-the-job- training, and were even commended by the HR department for their work. They will soon be working in Bellevue Manila as part of the hotel’s housekeeping staff.

SHARE THIS POST:

Search

RELATED POST