History of LCW

Little Children of the Philippines (LCP) was incorporated in Cebu City in December of 1989 as a branch corporation of Little Children of the World (LCW). At about the same time, property was acquired in Claytown Subdivision, Daro in Dumaguete City where LCP's center of operations has been located. A Mission House was built on the newly acquired property in order to provide housing for LCP offices and classrooms and as a guest house for local and international volunteers. This was soon followed by an open-air auditorium/chapel and a girls' dormitory, a health clinic in Taclobo, and a farm in Candau-ay for livelihood training. LCP's mission was from the beginning the same as that of its parent organization, namely, to help develop "caring communities for children at risk," with primary emphasis on education.

Little Children of the World (LCW), LCP's USA-based sponsoring agency, is a not-for-profit Christian service organization incorporated in October of 1987 in Atlanta, Georgia for the purpose of addressing the plight of street children in the developing world. LCW develops financial support for LCP programs and provides management oversight and program guidance. It promotes and publicizes LCP and LCW programs, activities and achievements, provides oversight of investment management, and facilitates communication between sponsors and sponsored children. Two governing boards were created: a Board of Directors composed of incorporators and charter members and an Advisory Board. The LCW Advisory Board represents a broad geographical expanse ranging from Hawaii and Washington in the West to Massachusetts and North Carolina in the East. Most Advisory Board members are child sponsors and have been volunteers in the Philippines and North America. Over half of LCW's Endowment Fund contributions, to date, are coming from Advisory Board members.

Prior to the establishment of Little Children of the Philippines, members of the Board of Directors of Little Children of the World made two trips in 1988 to Americus, Georgia to submit a proposal to Habitat for Humanity to build 100 houses in Dumaguete for the poorest of the poor. The proposal was approved in April of 1989. Today, eleven years later, Habitat has built more than 500 houses, which led Millard Fuller to declare it "the most successful Habitat Project in the world."

In 1990, land was purchased in Claytown, Daro, Dumaguete City as a center of operations. An LCP Board of Directors was soon created, which is presently composed of representatives from the business, educational and governmental sectors of the city, LCP youth and parent representatives, Little Children of the World, and Consuelo Foundation. A Child Sponsorship program was immediately set in place, by which sponsors from around the world are matched with needy children. Once sponsored, a child has access to all the benefits the LCP program provides. A self-HELP strategy was developed at the outset, highlighting the basic needs of the children, including Health, Housing, Education, Livelihood, and Peace (Christian values formation). A Parent Empowerment program (PEP) and a Youth Empowerment program (YEP) were launched the same year in order to train community people for positions of leadership in LCP.

A farm was purchased in Candau-ay in 1991, through the generosity of a church in Bloomington, Illinois, and thus came to be called the Bloomington Farm. About the same time, a church in Sudbury, Massachusetts began long-term funding for the LCP preschools. During this same year, the LCP Survival School was begun as a nonformal educational program for young girls at risk, called Wee Women’s program. This program was later expanded to include boys and parents.

The following year, 1992, a Memorandum of Agreement was drawn up between LCP and the Nonformal Education Division of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports, according to which the Division agreed to provide teachers for LCP’s Survival School. During this same year an LCW International Volunteers program was launched, beginning with the arrival of a team from Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California. At this time a tutoring program was introduced as one of the services of volunteers. A Mission House was built the same year through the generosity of several LCW staff and board members. It served as an office building, training center, and guest house.

Also in 1992, a partnership was established with Teen Missions International of Merritt Island, Florida. They built and partly financed a girls' dormitory at the Daro property, especially for young girls from dysfunctional families. Teen Missions also made it possible for LCP to begin to send a youth delegation each year to their Boot Camp in the Philippines. During the same year an auditorium/chapel was built, which came to be called the Chapel of the Doves, through funds raised by a Swedish volunteer.

Another team from Teen Missions returned in 1993 to build a boys' dormitory at the farm, which was completed later by the boys who lived in it as part of their on-the-job training, and with a grant from the Consuelo Foundation. In the same year a team from Grace Church, Santa Barbara, built and largely financed a health clinic in Taclobo on property donated by one of LCW's child sponsors from Newark, Delaware.

In 1994 the Consuelo Foundation began to assist LCP with its Survival School program, which included substantial improvements in the buildings at the Daro property. During the same year a team from Teen Missions International enlarged the auditorium/chapel. An international volunteer and her mother initiated a successful Eyeglasses Project for children and their parents in Dumaguete, with the cooperation of a local Filipino optometrist. About the same time a SWAP program (Service with a Purpose) was introduced whereby LCP families of sponsored children contribute 10 hours a month of community service to an LCP program or project of their choice. This program encourages recipients to "give back" in the form of service a portion of what they have received in sponsorship. It makes sponsorship a "hand up and not a handout."

In 1995, when Mayor Agustin Perdices spoke at LCP’s Survival School Recognition Day, he was informed of an expressed interest of the Consuelo Foundation in building houses for low-income families and said he was willing for the city to provide land for the houses, as was done for Habitat for Humanity. Thus, the seed was planted for the linkage between the City of Dumaguete and the Consuelo Foundation, which resulted in the Foundation helping to fund a housing project in Catawinonan.

An LCP program for children with a disability and from low-income families was established in 1996, named Handclasp, and was managed by a Filipino volunteer from Dumaguete. Interplast Medical Missions and Consuelo Foundation began to provide free harelip and cleft palate operations. During this same year a Nutrition program was begun for malnourished children, including a milk supplement and vitamins. This program was started by international volunteers. About the same time, a successful Lice Treatment program began in cooperation with the USA-based Lice Inc., and initiated also by a volunteer. A survey of street children was conducted by volunteers and youth assistants for the purpose of expanding the existing program for street children.

An agreement was made in 1998 with the Netherlands-based Stichting Liliane Foundation to cover the expense of surgery for children with an inborn disability. Meanwhile, a Smoky Mountain Project was started for families living at, and off, the city garbage dump, which resulted in one child sponsorship per family and roof repairs for their shacks while waiting for resettlement. This program was implemented largely by international volunteers. In the same year an LCW Board member and volunteer Program Analyst helped to develop a College Scholarship Fund for deserving college-age youth.

In April of 1999 a Memorandum of Agreement was signed with Consuelo Foundation for the construction of 32 houses for low-income families at LCP’s Bloomington Farm. Scheduled to be completed in October of 2000, the project is more than construction of houses; it is an experiment in developing a model community, using such indicators as self-reliance, interdependence and mutual caring. During this same year the School on Wheels began as a pilot study under the guidance and through the financial assistance of an LCW Advisory Board member. International volunteers also helped with the pilot study. The project takes education to the out-of-school youth in the barrios. Also, street children are brought by bus to LCP communities for special classes. Using the School of Tomorrow teaching materials, this is a program that gives the children an opportunity to take placement tests for enrollment in public school at their ability level. Eighty-one children are currently enrolled in this project.

Meanwhile, the health clinic in Taclobo was converted into a dormitory for Street Boys, and the clinic was moved to the LCP compound in Daro. This was done largely by international volunteers. The Taclobo Boys' Dorm is a residential home for boys off the street, which provides them a place to live while they are being tutored to prepare them to enter or re-enter public school. Later in the year a Soup Kitchen was started for malnourished kids in Looc, initiated by an international volunteer through funding from her church, family and friends back home. The long-term goal of this project is to impact the lives of these children, from Dumaguete's most blighted community, so they will be healthier and happier and able to attend school.