The next time you need a gift, especially for the holidays, check out a place called the Social Development Center in Bacolod City where you will find inexpensive items made by children trying to heal from the wounds of abuse and neglect.

For eight months now, the children at the SDC have been making bracelets, clay masks, and pillows, and have been designing rubber slippers while they undergo rehabilitation.

The center's trainer, Carena Arimas, said the program is primarily aimed at training children to make handicrafts that can help them support themselves and their families when they leave the center.

Some of the teenagers have been housed in the center for violations of the law, while some have been rescued from abusive families or relatives.

The project started in April when the SDC staff engaged the children in productive efforts, Arimas said, after they managed to pool a small amount among themselves for the initial capital.

Working on a wooden table, the children are like professional handicraft makers as they quietly cut nylon strings, arrange green and yellow beads, mold gray clay, and paste blue and pink sequins on their artwork, occasionally consulting each other on design concepts and techniques.

Melissa (not her real name), 19, said she can finish decorating two pairs of rubber slippers in a day.

Most of the center's patrons are the children's parents and college students who regularly visit the center.

A portion from the sale of handicrafts go to the children.

Arimas said they hope the city government can allocate funds for the program next year so they can improve it.

The initiative, she said, could be a significant help in paving the way for a bright future for the teenagers at the SDC – more than the glitter of the laces and beads in their hands.*PP

back to top