Children with their hand-colored eco-bags
On March 19, the Heart-to-Heart Foundation Philippine Office held a
‘School-Based Rights Promotion Campaign‘ at Pambuhan Minority School,
where the majority of students are from the Mangyan tribe.
Amidst raised hands, joyful songs, and the creative coloring of eco-bags, the children beamed with smiles.
Most importantly, it was a day they truly learned a vital truth for the first time: ‘I have rights.‘
This campaign was designed to help Mangyan students realize that they possess precious fundamental rights,
while empowering them to protect themselves in vulnerable situations.
The forgotten rights of our children
The Mangyan people, an indigenous group in the Philippines, live in deep economic and social isolation due to their challenging geographical location.
They are unaware of the term of "rights"—something we take for granted. Because of their difficult environment,
many cannot register their births on time, leaving them unable to access basic social services such as education and healthcare.
"Children coloring eco-bags featuring the slogan: ‘Carrying Our Rights toward the Future‘"
To break this vicious cycle and empower children to protect themselves and enjoy their inherent rights,
the Heart-to-Heart Foundation Philippine Office organized this campaign.
We designed a program combining education with hands-on activities, giving children a fun and engaging way to discover their own rights.
Children learning movements to stay safe
The campaign was made up of four fun and helpful sessions:
‘Protecting Myself,‘ ‘My Basic Rights,‘ ‘Staying Healthy,‘ and ‘My Legal Identity.‘
The children had a great time sticking their precious rights onto the ‘Tree of Rights‘ one by one.
They also colored their own eco-bags with the slogan, "Carrying Our Rights toward the Future."
As they colored, they learned just how special and important their rights truly are.
Through a fun ‘Body Coloring‘ activity, the children also learned to tell the difference between safe and unsafe touches,
practicing how to keep themselves safe in their daily lives.
(L) Children washing their hands / (R) "A child participating in the ‘Body Part Coloring‘ activity"
We also provided education on teen pregnancy prevention and health management.
Even when faced with the challenges of early pregnancy or childbirth,
we encouraged the students to take care of their health in the right way and never give up on their dreams.
In addition, we organized fun games to help children naturally understand the importance of ‘birth registration,’
which is essential for accessing social security services.
This activity received an enthusiastic response from the children.
Children wrote their own rights.
The campaign concluded in great success, with a total of
181 participants, including 164 students.
Rather than just listening to lectures, the children stayed focused and understood everything easily thanks to the fun storytelling and hands-on activities.
Many agreed that our approach—tailoring the lessons
to the children‘s ages and their local culture—was incredibly effective and helpful.
Rialyn, a 2nd grader,
took the lesson to heart as she thought about her older sister, who experienced early pregnancy.
I realized how important my safety is.
I learned that I have the right to speak up and ask for help whenever I feel scared.
Rialyn promised herself that she would tell her younger siblings
how important this lesson is.
I learned that I need birth registration to stay in school
and to get a great job one day!
Princess, a 6th grader,
realized just how much birth registration matters for her future.
She said with a big smile that she would definitely talk to her parents
about it as soon as she got home.
A group photo of Pambuan School and the Heart-to-Heart Foundation Philippine Office
The active participation of the children and school staff
helped our students build the strength to protect themselves.
Building on the success of this campaign,
the Heart-to-Heart Foundation Philippine Office will continue to support these young students.
We want to make sure they can enjoy their rights and grow up healthy, safe, and happy.
Please keep cheering for our children as they shape their own bright future!
<The Heart-to-Heart Foundation Philippine Office is currently carrying out the ‘Project for Promoting the Rights of the Mangyan People through Strengthening Maternal and Child Health in Abra de Ilog,
Occidental Mindoro, Philippines (2024-2026).’ This initiative is part of the Civil Society Partnership Program supported by KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency).>
