About kuya center
The Kuya Center for Street Children was established in 1991 at the behest of the late Cardinal Jaime Sin DD to cater for the increasing problem of poverty-stricken families becoming further fractured through losing their children to street life, crime and vagrancy. Cardinal Sin challenged the newly formed Luzon Association of Religious Brothers (LARB) to provide for and eventually return these children home.
Since then, it has become a non-stock, non-profit corporation recognized by the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) of the Philippines as of October 11, 2005.
After operating at a rented place for 18 years, Kuya Center had the opportunity to purchase the property in 2008, giving Kuya Center necessary security of tenure. This was followed by the building of new facilities from 2009 to 2011.
Kuya Center’s residential and community-based programs are Licensed and Accredited by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The residential program caters for boys between the ages of 5 to 15 upon admission. The criteria for admission of boys are that they are living on the streets, orphaned, abandoned, or have run away from home due to issues of abuse and neglect. The street-based program provides intervention for both boys and girls below 18 years of age through psycho-education services. Each year, at least 350 children are provided with non-formal education and psycho-social intervention on the streets.
On the year 2021, Kuya Center mark its 30th anniversary. During those years Kuya Center has been directed by De La Salle, Redemptorist, St. John of God, Capuchin, Marist, Blessed Sacrament and currently Sacred Heart Brothers. Thirty years of mission has witnessed Kuya Center to be a half-way home to so many children awaiting family reconciliation as well as support to thousands of others continuing a subsistence life on the streets.
Kuya Center’s residential and community-based programs are Licensed and Accredited by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The residential program caters for boys between the ages of 5 to 15 upon admission. The criteria for admission of boys are that they are living on the streets, orphaned, abandoned, or have run away from home due to issues of abuse and neglect. The street-based program provides intervention for both boys and girls below 18 years of age through psycho-education services. Each year, at least 350 children are provided with non-formal education and psycho-social intervention on the streets.
Kuya Center, modeled on that of Nazareth, acts as a half-way home which seeks to entice vagrant children from the streets to live at the Center. During this residency period the children are:
- Re-socialized and catechized,
- Counseled and documented – birth / baptism certificates
- Returned to school and if possible have their families found and visited so that at the
- Appropriate time, after investigation, the children are returned home.
Following family reconciliation the children, their parents and siblings return to Kuya Center for:
- Monthly family counseling,
- Self esteem development and education support
Parents and families are then encouraged to become self-supporting:
- Through Kuya’s livelihood programs which teach parents self-employment skills in a Christian milieu and
- Through low interest loans assist parents set up and apply these skills.
Kuya also provides supervised ‘live-in’ opportunities for Priests and Religious in Formation plus foreign and local, lay people and students to encounter, be challenged by, work with / learn from such children.
MISSION AND VISION
OUR MISSION
Kuya Center is a temporary shelter that supports and empowers children to transition from street life and builds capacities of their families.
VISION OF KUYA CENTER
Communities that have recovered the Filipino value of caring for children, enabling the youth to claim their dignity as children of God and as empowered, responsible members of society.
OBJECTIVES AND AIMS
OBJECTIVES
- To provide street children with evidence that there are people who care and are ready to assist them in practical ways to reestablish their self-esteem and to help them adjust their lives so that they can successfully undertake rehabilitation, reconciliation and redirection and become responsible family members in society once again. This usually entails counseling their families and assisting financially in their education.
- To provide the Luzon Association of Religious Brothers and the Laity, both local and foreign, the opportunity to respond to, be immersed in and reflect on the challenges faced by marginalized people in societies, with particular emphasis on street children, thus challenging people to be proactive in a Gospel-enriched practical way.
AIMS
- To reach out to children living on the streets of Cubao, Araneta, Commonwealth Avenue, Barangay Holy Spirit, Balintawak, Camachile, Blumentritt, Pasig Mega Market and, through gentle encouragement, entice them to leave the streets and, where possible, return them home or, should this prove impossible, then reside at Kuya Center.
- To reconcile the children with their families and determine with them the best educational option for each child.
- To provide the children a safe and stable environment at Kuya Center where they can respond to the needs of others in a positive, generous way through Christian religious formation, resocialization, living and relating as a family
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- To lead a life worthy of their dignity as children of God,
- To respect the gift of God’s creation in self and in others,
- To become compassionate to other street children like them,
- To maintain, develop their self-reliance and responsibility.
These goals and aims provide many Religious Brothers and Sisters, especially those in formation, the opportunity to practice Gospel values expressed in accordance with their respective Founders’ charisms within a supervised and supportive environment.
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Children in Kuya Center
boys ages 7-16
Scholars from the community
Children in the streets and
community served
meet the team
TEAM MEMBER 1
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TEAM MEMBER 2
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TEAM MEMBER 3
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TEAM MEMBER 4
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CURRENT PROGRAMS
Street Children Services Program
Kuya Center’s street educators, social workers, and volunteers meet the…
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Short Term Residential Program
The main thrust of the Center is to reconcile the child with his family…
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School Sponsorship Program
This program is intended for low-income families whose children would…
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Immersion Program
Kuya Center also provides live-in or short-term immersion experiences for…
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