Tech van to let street kids get alternative education

An initiative to bring alternative but interactive education to street children in Metro Manila was unveiled Tuesday by a collaboration of various entities, which included two tech firms, a mall, a non-government organization, and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Phone maker Sony Ericsson and sister firm Ericsson Philippines linked up with mall operator SM to jointly fund the acquisition of an education van, which it turned over to an NGO partner Lingap Pangkabataan through UNICEF. Sony Ericsson and Ericsson jointly gave P1 million to buy the specially equipped van, while SM Supermalls supplied donation bins for visitors to the expo. Ericsson’s contribution already included donations of laptops and mobile broadband access. The mobile facility is aimed at teaching street children in the areas where they reside and often earn their income. Specially-trained street educators and social workers will be mentoring the street kids. Lingap Pangkabataan, the NGO partner for the UNICEF program, said it underwent training sessions with the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) and Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS) for the curriculum it will be holding for street dwellers. The project will initially target areas in Cubao, NIA Road, C-5 Road, and Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City, according to Cathy Eder, child focus development program officer of Lingap ng Kabataan. Up next would be some parts of Pasay and Manila. Eder said aside from basic skills, the program also intends to teach the street children how to use the computer and the Internet. “This is like the kariton (pushcart) model where we go to the communities to conduct teaching sessions," said Eder. According to Jesus Far, child protection officer of UNICEF, a 2002 study estimated that there are at least 250,000 children on the streets of the Philippines scattered in major cities nationwide. He said 50,000 are highly visible, spending most of their days and nights on the streets. Lingap ng Kabataan’s Eder said they would conduct two to three hours of instruction per week over a 10-month period in a specific area before moving on to other communities. -- Melvin G. Calimag/OMG/JV, GMANews.TV