WER's Mobile Puppet Theater Program

We believe that no one should ever have to experience sexual abuse or exploitation!

This is especially true for children, whether from abuse at home or in the community, or sold/stolen into commercial sex (prostitution). Few things are more basic to life for a child, and the child's human rights, than safety from any sort of sexual predator, whether a relative or a stranger.

World Emergency Relief (WER) has long been committed to preventing child sexual exploitation and intervening for the victims, through advocacy, intervention, education and providing safe harbor and healing. We consider this a natural extension of our mission for the last 22 years - giving children all over the world a living chance by addressing their practical, emotional, spiritual and economic needs, as well as the needs of their families and communities.

The Current Challenge in the Philippines

One of every four Filipino children is a victim of some type of abuse, 45% of which is sexual abuse. Sadly, less than 10% of sexual abuse is reported. A child's own family members often sell them into the commercial sex industry, and street children are frequently forced in prostitution. ECPAT International* estimates over 60,000 child prostitutes in the Philippines, making the Philippines a tragic world leader for child prostitution.

Sexually abused children suffer psychological and physical trauma, sleeping and eating disorders, sexually transmitted diseases, health risks, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, family breakdowns and lowered academic success.

Currently, few organizations in the Philippines are directly involved with prevention and intervention of child abuse. No standard abuse prevention and no intervention protocols across the different sectors of society (schools, churches, local government, etc.) exist.

There are also few organizations that focus on children's counseling needs during disaster and emergency situations. Right after the 2004 Tsunami hit, CNN interviewed WER's CEO Joel MacCollam live, asking how emergency groups were responding. He startled them when he explained his biggest concern, child predators masquerading as volunteer relief workers. He was later proven correct, because CCN's year-end review of disaster recovery, televised a year later, sadly proved his warning true.

Many organizations talk about making plans to combat sexual exploitation, but few are positioned to launch significantly successful programs because of local culture and public denial of the problem.

These children are trapped, living in fear and shame every day, and most have no one to help them. WER wants to change this, and give Filipino children a “living chance” from suffering this horrible fate!

WER is Making a Difference!

Determined to combat sexual exploitation of children, in 2003 WER funded a new and innovative puppet theater program (Puppet I) with the help of our local partner, Hope Worldwide, in Manila. Our mobile puppet theater reaches children across the National Capital Region of Metro Manila, its highly trained staff visiting youth clubs and schools to teach children in a dignified, non-offensive way what constitutes “good touch” and what to do when “bad touch” happens.

Every session includes discussion with the children, led by trained Christian social workers ready to help each child who has been abused. WER's program increases public awareness about sexual abuse, improves children's self esteem and their own awareness of their body's privacy, and promotes reporting abuse incidents.

Puppet Theater Activities

• Puppet shows, group discussions and Alisto Kid Fun Club Meetings, guided by licensed social workers at schools, address incest, sexual abuse, sexual safety practices and physical abuse.

• Prevention and Identification of Child Abuse Program (PICAP) teaches at-risk children basic prevention techniques, while abused children are identified for health/social referrals, after care and parental counsel.

• Our youth advocacy program works with groups of children, using a variety of activities to inform them and build skills that prevent and protect them against different forms of abuse.

• Trainer's training instructs teachers from churches and public schools about the Child Protection System pilot. It also shows the teachers how to inform their children about sexual abuse and train them in abuse prevention skills.



*Listen to what two children say about our puppet program and its impact, in their own words:* (Please note that English is not their first language.)

Jade, 16 years old: “I think the story is very educational. The show opened the eyes of the children of their rights. As time passes by, almost every child is becoming aware of this issue. It is a child issue, so they have the right to know. Now they are aware of what to do children are now educated enough to know what to do in case of any abuse. I also believe the people who made [the] show gave us a sense of responsibility for the people younger than us. Nice jobs guys hope I can get to see you again.”

Katrina, 16 years old:

“This kind of project that you are doing helps a lot of people (especially the youth) in realizing the importance of their rights through simple undertaking which has a great impact on the audience . . . I do hope personally that endeavors like this will continue to inform the rest of the growing population of uninformed youth of their rights. Thank you and your supporters for this activity.”

Download WER's Puppet Theater Fact Sheet (PDF 1.3MB)


*Our Plans for the Future* Our puppet theater program is an important part of WER's "Embraceable Communities" strategy. *World Emergency Relief* will more than double its stand against child sexual exploitation when we launch our second multi-purpose mobile puppet theater (Puppet II) in 2008. We expect it to reach at least 45,000 additional children every year. Puppet II will serve a second, life-saving purpose: to help children cope with the multitude of typhoons, earthquakes and volcanoes which hit the Philippines every year. Our entire puppet team will be cross-trained both in disaster trauma strategy and in techniques to fight child sexual abuse. Puppet II, while based in Manila, will be ready to respond elsewhere across the inland nation.

Once Puppet II is up and running, *WER* intends to create a professional quality DVD that can be inexpensively produced in the Philippines and directly distributed for schools and churches to use. This will expand our program to reach over one million children a year, after it is fully operational. WER's unique strategy has results which prove our success, and has recieved dozens of requests from schools and other youth organizations to continue both Puppet I and to launch Puppet II as quickly as possible.

WER Needs Your Help

Your compassionate gift will help WER continue to run and expand our Puppet Theater program in the Philippines. You can help right now by CLICKING HERE and making a loving donation. Your generosity helps give these children “a living chance.”

DONATE

To make a life-saving donation online, CLICK HERE.
Cash and check donations can be mailed to:
     World Emergency Relief
     P.O. Box 131570
     Carlsbad, CA 92013
Credit card donations can be phoned in at 1-888-484-4543.
All contributions from U.S. taxpayers are tax-deductible.

TELL A FRIEND

Let your friends, family members and co-workers know what’s going on.
If you would like someone at WER to contact your friend, email us at info@wer-us.org and let us know the best way to get a hold of them.

PRAY

Pray for the millions of at-risk and abused children.
Pray that sexual abuse and exploitation will stop around the world.
Pray that WER will have support to continue and expand their puppet theater program.