Meet Your Sponsored Child MEET YOUR SPONSORED CHILD
Field Office: Philippines Field Office Donor ID: 1374025-1
Child ID: 08206333 Sponsorship #: 480115653
Name: Sarah Alea
Gender: Female Impact Area: Metro Manila
Date of Birth: January 16, 1994 Community Name: Tramo
We would like to introduce you to Sarah Alea, who has been selected as your sponsored child. Sarah lives with her mother, 4 brothers and 2 sisters in a wooden frame home. The family's home is in Tramo within the impact area of Metro Manila where Save the Children works.
We hope that you will enjoy your friendship with Sarah, who is described by her family as being shy. The activity in which Sarah participates most is helping with household chores. She presently attends elementary school.
Tramo is located close to Manila Bay. Its total land area is 3,600 square miles and is divided into two major areas: Tramo I and Tramo II. Since the 90's, these economically depressed areas were used as dump sites. The congested drainage system and narrow streets make it prone to floods. The government and Save the Children have made sanitation projects here a top priority. In 2001, health programs began in Tramo's three elementary schools, a strategic site as half the population of 13,130 are girls 18 years and younger. 20% of the population did not complete primary education. Though many completed secondary education, few went to college and often failed to graduate due to financial difficulty.
Metro Manila is one of the major metropolitan areas of Southeast Asia. It is composed of eight cities and 12 municipalities. Metro Manila is also home to about 12 million people and is a veritable melting pot of Filipinos from different parts of the country. It has a land area of 646.10 square kilometers. Although it is considered one of Asia's energetic and modern metropolitan areas, it is also dotted with urban poor communities. These communities often lack access to basic social services and the skills necessary for gainful employment. Often, the jobs that are available tend to be occasional and often low paying.
The projects that are available in Sarah's community include educational assistance, Health and Nutrition Fair, and hearing and vision screening.
Educational assistance is extended to all children currently enrolled in daycare centers, preschool facilities, public and private elementary, secondary and tertiary schools in Save the Children areas. School bags, umbrellas and school supplies are provided, as well as payment of miscellaneous fees.
An all day Health and Nutrition Fair is offered with free medical and dental consultations for all the enrolled children and some of thiner immediate family members. Treatment is provided for simple cases, while the more complicated ones are referred for follow-up at advanced centers. Health and nutrition education sessions are also held. The Fair is conducted through the support of local health offices and Save the Children provides medical and dental supplies.
Hearing and vision screenings are conducted for all school children from Kinder to Grade 6(6-13 years old) in all School Health and Nutrition partner schools. Children are screened by trained teachers to detect vision problems using Snellen's chart and hearing problems using the tuning fork. Those with visual and hearing problems will be seated in front of the class as an immediate remedial classroom measure. More serious cases are referred to specialists.
Project needs are identified by members of the community. Save the Children provides funding and technical assistance needed to establish and sustain projects until they can be managed by local agencies or members of the community. This is how Save the Children offers a hand up instead of a hand out to the families with whom we work.
Sarah is proud to represent her community in these efforts to ensure a better way of life for herself, her family and her community. On behalf of Sarah and her family, we thank you for your generous support and commitment to making a difference in thier lives.
