Helping our young people continue their education in 2025, at the centre in Butuan

Helping the youth in the Philippines achieve their goals

For 22 years, the Butuan School Centre has been welcoming young people from all over the island of Mindanao. When it opened in 2002, the Centre welcomed 18 young people. Today, 38 students are housed there as part of their studies. These young people are supervised by a social team consisting of a programme coordinator, a social worker and two Bambou volunteers.

The Centre enables motivated students from very poor families to access the best university courses in the country and aims to provide these young people with a living and working environment that enables them to succeed in their studies. Finally, beyond their academic education, we want to provide young people with a comprehensive human education so that they can develop intellectually, emotionally and morally in order to achieve human excellence.

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2025 Outlook

CONTINUING WHAT WORKS WELL

Orientation week, Sports Fest, Family Day, training courses, community service, summer camp, etc. – all these events punctuate the lives of students at the Butuan centre and are real memory makers for everyone. The goal for 2025 is to continue to keep the centre alive with joy and good humour, in line with the comprehensive training offered by Children of the Mekong, which combines academic excellence with self-confidence, responsibility and open-mindedness.

Philippines

ACCREDITATION BY THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT (DSWD)

Children of the Mekong in the Philippines must become more professional in order to meet DSWD requirements and continue to accommodate students. Numerous upgrades have already been carried out at the centre during 2024, including: the installation of smoke detectors, the renovation of the bathrooms and infirmary, and the creation of an isolation room.

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Project Highlights

Enabling motivated pupils from very poor families to continue their education.

Providing these students with a living environment and working environment that enables them to succeed in their studies.

Beyond their academic education, providing students with a comprehensive education that allows them to develop intellectually, emotionally and morally, in order to achieve human excellence.

The Centre’s Teaching Approach

The Centre’s teaching approach aims to help students become ‘true leaders’ – well-rounded, happy individuals who are capable of committing to a project, fulfilling their responsibilities and helping those around them to grow.

Acquire a good level of academic skills

Getting to know oneself and gaining self-confidence

Open up to the world

Becoming a responsible adult serving the common good

Elma Student at the Centre studying for a teaching degree

Thank you!

Words cannot express how grateful I am to Children of the Mekong for choosing me to be one of the students at the Butuan centre. Education has always been important to me. This opportunity is the answer to my prayers. I grew up with my family, poor in financial terms but rich in love. Our life was not easy; it was full of trials, but my parents never gave up. I knew they could not afford to pay for my university education.

Now I am studying at the University of Caraga, the university of my dreams, for a bachelor’s degree in secondary school teaching, specialising in mathematics. Later, I want to become a teacher to share my knowledge with those in need. I believe that success does not happen by chance: you have to work hard and persevere, learn, study and make sacrifices, and most importantly, you have to love what you do or what you learn.

Here at the Centre, I am exposed to so many experiences that help me grow as an adult, express myself, gain confidence, and connect with the people around me who have a positive influence on who I am today.