The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. Dolores Aboitiz Children’s Fund (RAFI- DACF) was recognized by SOS Children’s Villages Philippines as one of their Child Care Champs for 2020. The recognition was one of RAFI-DACF’s countless initiatives during that year, most notably, their RAFI COVID Initiative Brief and Christmas for Kids Program.
SOS Children’s Villages Philippines is home to more than a thousand abandoned and neglected children. And for almost 54 years now, SOS Children’s Villages Philippines has been providing loving homes to vulnerable children and helps thousands of families in the community. With the support of partners and donors, they work to ensure that no child grows up alone.
Riella Guioguio, RAFI’s Chief Operating Officer| Contributed Photo
RAFI and SOS Children’s Villages Philippines have partnered over the decades with the shared goal of ensuring the welfare of children in the community.
In 1979, RAFI donated 1 hectare of land in Talamban, Cebu City to SOS. At present, that piece of land is being used for the SOS Family-Like Care Program. The facility has 12 family houses, a community center, offices, conference room, garage, and kinder hobby (activity area for children).
We at RAFI believe that by partnering with an organization like SOS Children’s Villages Philippines, we touch not only the lives of children but also the communities who advocate for their well-being.
RIELLA GUIOGUIO
Chief Operating Officer
Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.
In 2012 and 2017, SOS Children’s Villages Philippines was one of the finalists in RAFI’s Triennial Awards in recognition for their efforts in the community for children’s welfare.
In 2020, SOS Children’s Villages Philippines caught wind of RAFI-DACF’s programs geared towards helping communities, enriching children’s lives, and developing their potential.
One of the note-worthy projects that SOS Children’s Villages Philippines commended was the RAFI’s response to those most vulnerable sectors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. RAFI’s mission statement to enrich the lives of the people they serve continuously resounds within the minds of everyone who has become part of RAFI.
With the values that the foundation has instilled deep within every RAFInian, every single member of the team felt compelled to do whatever it takes to stay true to this mission. In line with this, the foundation has decided to form the Humanitarian Disaster Preparedness & Response Team (HDPR) to launch and lead the COVID-19 Initiatives to aid struggling communities and heal together amidst the threats of the global pandemic. Hygiene materials and grocery items were also donated to the SOS Children’s Village in Cebu, to further support their cause.
Christmas for Kids Project was another notable achievement by the team. The project aimed to engage the Cebuano community in giving some Christmas cheers to 1500 underserved children in Cebu and Bicol. The beneficiaries of the campaign are the street children in Cebu City and Mandaue City as well as those in far-flung areas aged three to ten (3-10) years old. About 150 Bags of Joy bundles were donated to SOS.
“We at RAFI believe that by partnering with an organization like SOS Children’s Villages Philippines, we touch not only the lives of children but also the communities who advocate for their well-being. Together, we shape the future by providing the next generation with tools and resources to be successful,” said Riella Guioguio, RAFI’s Chief Operating Officer.
SOS Children’s Villages Philippines’ Deputy National Director & OIC also shared: “Faithful to our promise of providing quality care to children in need, SOS Children’s Villages Philippines has been working together with Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. for more than four decades now to help vulnerable children in Cebu have a home. Thanks to their unwavering support, many abandoned and neglected children in our SOS Children’s Village in Cebu can experience what it means to belong to a loving family. For this reason, we at SOS Children’s Villages Philippines believe that Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. deserves to be hailed as a Child Care Champ.”
The Dolores Aboitiz Children’s Fund of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI-DACF) aims to enable communities to champion for children to reach their own potentials. Its Grants Program supports initiatives promoting the welfare and development of children through Early Education and Health and Nutrition.
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