OUR STORY

The LifeBank Foundation, Inc. (LBF) pioneered the Street Children NGO Support Project (SNSP) in 2018 with the goal of strengthening the effectiveness of non-government organizations (NGOs) working for Children in Street Situations (CiSS). 

 

Prior to the creation of SNSP, LifeBank held three multi-stakeholder consultations: in Davao City for Mindanao and in Iloilo City for Visayas in 2016, and a national concluding forum in Iloilo City the following year. 

 

Key findings of the consultations pointed to lack of contact among CiSS NGOs and the need to collect better data on the children. SNSP was set-up to address some of the identified gaps, through which LBF will extend its support for Visayas and Mindanao. 

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LBF uses a phased approach in implementing project components to boost the effectiveness of CiSS NGOs in the regions. 

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Phase One

Phase One focused on supporting research on CiSS. SNSP facilitated the development of a knowledge management and sharing website to aid the network. 

 

In 2019, LBF partnered with survey powerhouse Social Weather Stations (SWS) to estimate the national and regional headcounts of CiSS and their socio-economic situation in the cities of Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro. Just a year later, in March 2020, the findings were presented to national media outlets, along with the launching of monographs that highlight the key research results. The latter provide valuable insight in informing program and policy recommendations. 

 

On a separate undertaking, SNSP and its partner government agencies, civil society organizations, and NGOs from Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro cities crafted a unified theory of change framework to address issues impacting CiSS. The project also ventured into writing case stories and case studies to explore and learn from the experiences of select CiSS – hence, the birth of its first edition compendium.

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Phase Two

Building from progress achieved in Phase One, SNSP implemented Phase Two. This is set on strengthening the network, enabling better information systems, and engaging with government agencies on CiSS policies and programs, capacity building for local NGOs working with CiSS, as well as livelihood and support for families and their children.

 

Undeterred by the pandemic, SNSP led in 2021 the creation of its second edition compendium that puts into focus the adaptive practices of NGOs as well as Iloilo City and CDO City LGUs as they shift their efforts to addressing the most pressing needs of their beneficiaries amid the global health crisis, while still implementing their core interventions.  

 

The compendium captures approaches that have been tested and validated to yield good results, and can therefore serve as models that can be replicated by like-minded stakeholders. 

 

The compendium was launched virtually in November 2021 via a live webinar headlined by LBF  that is part of a month-long celebration of the National Children’s Month hosted by the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC). The same year, SNSP, in partnership with CWC, launched a four-part video animation series that centers on the circumstances surrounding the CiSS.