Project Philippines 2009

Project Philippines 2009
When: Saturday, August 23, 2009 - Sunday, September 6, 2009
Location: Cebu City, Philippines
High School Applications Here

Executive Summary
Unsafe and inadequate availability of water for hygiene, and lack of access to sanitation has given rise to a high prevalence of gastrointestinal worms in the Philippines. It is estimated that a child in the Philippines has a 70 percent chance of becoming infected with gastrointestinal worms, making them that much more susceptible to poor physical and mental development. With the empowerment of youth, advocacy and health education, Project Philippines 2009 aims to reduce the number of worm infections in the Philippines. Our hope is to help improve quality of life by developing an educational campaign through the creation of media and the promotion of service leadership.
Challenge

• 7 out of 10 children in the Philippines are infected with gastrointestinal worms which cause malnutrition, stunted growth, school absenteeism, and impaired cognitive development
• The Alaska Community in Cebu, Philippines presents one of the highest prevalence rates in the Philippines: 88% of school-aged children are infected with parasitic worms
• There is a pressing need for a de-worming campaign consisting of treatment, education, and advocacy

• Share-a-Child (a local NGO in the Philippines committed to educational assistance, child rights advocacy, family development, and relief operations)
• National Institutes of Health in the Philippines
• Save the Children (a US-based NGO that has implemented health and education programs in the Philippines for 26 years)

• Provide effective health education regarding gastro-intestinal worm infections and nutrition to the most at-risk populations in Cebu City
• Increase community involvement (local non-profit organizations, parents, and educators) in the development and implementation of long-term solutions to the public health issues of gastro-intestinal infections
• Inspire local high school leaders, through mentorship, to take part in community advocacy efforts

• Development and delivery of a health curriculum about the prevention of gastrointestinal worms for school-aged children at Alaska Elementary School
• Service leadership workshops for high school students at UP-Cebu High School to equip them with the skills and information necessary to be health educators and leaders in their communities
• Parent and teacher volunteer education sessions to educate the adults in the community about the necessity and importance of de-worming children
• Possible distribution of de-worming tablets to students at Alaska Elementary
• Advocacy efforts to encourage the government to enforce laws that require distribution of de-worming tablets to school-aged children

• Help development of health curriculum targeted towards elementary school students
• Creation of service leadership/youth empowerment workshops for high school mentees
• Possibly become trained in de-worming and aid with distribution of pills to the community
• Increase advocacy efforts among youth and adults in the community
• Development of health education media (calendar, pamphlet, comic book, radio/TV ads, etc.)

• Creativity
• Initiative
• Commitment to long-term projects
• Openness to new cultures and experiences (especially in resource limited areas)
• Interest in Social Justice and/or excitement to learn more
• Willingness to have fun!

• Janet Rojina: jrojina 'at' sealnetonline.org
• Noelle Pineda: noellep 'at' sealnetonline.org