The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. Dolores Aboitiz Childrenโs Fund (RAFI-DACF) was recognized by SOS Childrenโs Villages Philippines as one of their Child Care Champs for 2020. The recognition was one of RAFI-DACFโs countless initiatives during that year, most notably, their RAFI COVID Initiative Brief and Christmas for Kids Program.
SOS Childrenโs Villages Philippines is home to more than a thousand abandoned and neglected children. And for almost 54 years now, SOS Childrenโs 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.
RAFI and SOS Childrenโs 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).
In 2012 and 2017, SOS Childrenโs Villages Philippines was one of the finalists in RAFIโs Triennial Awards in recognition for their efforts in the community for childrenโs welfare.
In 2020, SOS Childrenโs Villages Philippines caught wind of RAFI-DACFโs programs geared towards helping communities, enriching childrenโs lives, and developing their potential.
One of the note-worthy projects that SOS Childrenโs Villages Philippines commended was the RAFIโs response to those most vulnerable sectors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. RAFIโs 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 Childrenโs 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 Childrenโs 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, RAFIโs Chief Operating Officer.
SOS Childrenโs Villages Philippinesโ 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.”
