Among the 200 staff at the foundation, we are happy to have a small team which takes care of the programs for the children of the slums. Rina, Sally, Virgie, Tina and Nikki all live in the slums. It is not because they don’t have the choice, no, it is a true life choice. They could have moved, yet they chose to stay in the slums to live with their family. This commitment is vital for the foundation, and we are even more aware of it during times of crises. In particular during the endless and uninterrupted lockdown in The Philippines. Due to health restrictions and military barrages, many NGOs had to stop their help. Thanks to our teams living in the slums, we were allowed to continue. Our action was limited but terribly useful, focusing on handing out meals, many families having only one meal a day, the one offered by the foundation. This daily commitment is inspirational in its simplicity: committing means giving part of yourself. This truly discrete team in the slums is so precious for the foundation.

Charles Cruse, Human Resources Manager in Manila