In Philippines, school offers training, but nuns provide sense of family
Sister Rachel Myriam Luxford from New Zealand, a member of the Community of the Beatitudes, visits in 2019 with Senan Duran and Raymart Montinola in Manila, Philippines, both alumni of the Second Chance program. (CNS photo/courtesy Charity Durano)
By Gail DeGeorge and Charity Durano, Catholic News Service
QUEZON CITY, Philippines Jane Ollivier lost her parents by the age of 10. For five years, she bounced among various relatives before she entered the School of Life, a residential program for teenage girls in metropolitan Manila run by the Missionaries of Mary.
Young people help Philippine detainees secure better future
Association Compassion Asian Youth believes that time in detention can be a useful period
Trending
Second Chance relies on peer-to-peer interaction, testimonials from program alumni, videos and counseling sessions for offenders to recognize the patterns of behavior that got them into jail and opportunities to change when they are released.
When Laurent Thorigné went to the Philippines to work for a nongovernmental organization serving underage inmates, he initially did not know it had been set up by a French nun. What struck me was how dynamic the organization was, how full of humanity, Thorigné said. It was really inspiring. I could feel a lot of hope. The sisters were so full of energy, of attention. They cared so much about everyone: the detainees but also the volunteers, everyone. Their dedication to their work was very impressive.
Nuns offer Filipina teenagers sense of family
The School of Life is one of the central programs of Association Compassion Asian Youth
Trending
The school, founded in 2000, provides a home for around 20 girls, ages 14-21, many of whom were abused.
Jane Ollivier lost her parents by the age of 10. For five years, she bounced among various relatives before she entered the School of Life, a residential program for teenage girls in metropolitan Manila run by the Missionaries of Mary. I wasn t treated as a child who needed help, but as a member of a family, she said. I found the care of a family that I was looking for.