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Hands of Mercy (Compassion Programmes)
The General Fund is used wherever the support is needed the most. Each compassion programmes helps to alleviate poverty – whether it’s providing food to under-nourished children who would otherwise go hungry, paying for medicine/hospital fees for sick adults and children or repairing and building homes for those living in the squatter communities – every gift helps to change a life.
Salamat!
(Filipino for ‘thank you’!)
Our Programmes
Sponsor a Child
Every day, children as young as six or seven scavenge for discarded materials in the blistering heat, trying to gather enough materials to buy food so that they can eat just once a day. Those who scavenge earn the equivalent of about £2 a day – not even enough to buy a coffee in most of our modern coffee shops.
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Sponsor a Family
There are thousands of families in the Philippines who are trapped in poverty who have yet to discover the life-changing difference Christian compassion can make. By sponsoring a family through the Family Support Programme, you can give a desperately needy family the start to make a new life and a new hope for the future through help with supplementary food assistance.
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Other Compassion Programmes
Supplementary Feeding Programme
Hands of Mercy currently operates 11 feeding centres and serves meals to approximately 250 needy children three times a week. Meals are served at lunchtime either in one of our community centres or at a location elsewhere in the community. Each feeding site is in easy reach of the beneficiaries. The food is prepared by our dedicated staff, which is then brought to the feeding site in large serving pots.
Prescription Medicine Programme
Needy individuals can apply for financial assistance to purchase prescription medicines for themselves or for a family member. Although the majority of people have access to free medical consultations at a local Government hospital, many do not avail themselves of this service because of the inability to afford prescribed medication.
Disabled Therapy Programme
In partnership with licensed therapists and therapy volunteers, children with disabilities, such as cerebral palsy and autism, are identified and enrolled for free centre-based or home care therapy. These children have a therapist assigned to them who provides the love, care, and therapy relevant to their specific need, such as massage to stimulate muscle development. This programme is an important service to the community, as poor families who have children with disabilities cannot afford to send their children to a private institution.
Surgical Treatment Programme
Through this programme, children and adults with physical needs are given the necessary help and resources to undergo corrective surgery. Children and adults living in poverty who have physical needs are identified and offered assistance with their surgical needs. Although most people have access to free medical consultations at a local Government hospital, the cost of any treatment (even at a Government hospital) and especially a surgical operation is far beyond their reach.
Home Improvement Programme
Through our committed team of Filipino staff, who coordinate the Hands of Mercy compassion programmes, needy families are identified and offered help with their house repairs. In a typical urban poor community in Mandaluyong, as in most urban centers in the Philippines, you will find hundreds and sometimes thousands of people squatting side-by-side on a deserted portion of land in haphazardly constructed ‘shanty’ homes made from scrap wood, corrugated iron and plastic.
Next: Sponsor a Child