Strengthening Foundations in June
Throughout June, we intentionally balanced our high-volume training schedule with a dedicated season of inward investment, pouring deeply into our existing communities and staff so that our future outreach is stronger and more impactful than ever. This month is about strengthening foundations, and we are very excited to celebrate our wins with you:
Highlights from June:
Community Outreach – Throughout June, we continued our outreach efforts in our partner communities, spending intentional time with children and families. These allowed us to strengthen relationships, provide encouragement, and continue creating safe spaces where children are known, valued, and protected. As part of our commitment to child protection and prevention, the “I Can Be Strong, Smart, and Safe” lessons continued in our communities. We remain dedicated to walking alongside the children who began this journey, ensuring that they can complete the full program and not only learn important concepts but also understand how to apply these lessons in their daily lives.
Through each session, we aim to equip children with practical knowledge about personal safety, healthy boundaries, recognizing unsafe situations, and understanding their worth and identity. Our goal is not simply to deliver lessons, but to help children develop confidence and practical skills that they can carry with them beyond the classroom.
Club Kinabuhi: Back to School– June marks the start of the school year in the Philippines, and we wanted to celebrate our Club Kinabuhi children in a special way. Instead of just handing out standard school supplies, we took the children shopping so they could personally choose, budget for, and purchase their own items. Given a specific budget, the children had to practice real-world decision-making, learning how to prioritize their needs and calculate costs. This small shift helped them build critical life skills in budgeting, and it gave them an incredible sense of ownership, independence, and excitement for the upcoming school year. Beyond meeting an educational need, it reminded them that they are capable, seen, and deeply valued by their community.
Mid-Year Staff Spiritual Retreat – A major highlight of June was our Mid-Year Staff Spiritual Retreat. Those who spend their lives serving others also need moments to pause, reflect, and be refreshed. This dedicated time allowed our staff to seek the Lord, strengthen team relationships, and realign our hearts with the mission God has entrusted to us. Our team stepped away to worship, share testimonies, and pray together over the opportunities and challenges ahead. We used this time to reflect on the first half of the year and realign our hearts for what is ahead. We firmly believe that healthy ministry can only overflow from healthy, spiritually grounded leaders.
As we step into the second half of the year, we are excited to resume our wider child protection trainings while continuing our outreach and community development programs. Thank you for standing with us. Your faithful prayers, generosity, and partnership make it possible for us not only to reach vulnerable children but also to sustain the team that serves them.
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." — Galatians 6:9
WHAT’S TO COME:
The foundations we built in June have set the stage for an exciting, high-impact season ahead. Here is what your partnership is moving us toward next:
Community "Moving Up" Celebrations
Our children in two of our core outreach communities are about to complete their foundational lesson blocks! We will be hosting special milestone celebrations to honor their consistency, growth, and character development, marking their transition into the next phase.
2. Launching Parent-Child Protection Trainings
Building safe communities means equipping the adults who lead them. We are conducting our targeted training tracks for parents and guardians, focusing on practical child safety tools, positive discipline, and reinforcing healthy family dynamics.
3. Expanding Partnerships
We are actively engaging with new local partners to scale our child protection awareness campaigns. By joining forces with like-minded organizations and community leaders, we aim to drastically increase our training numbers and equip hundreds of new advocates for children.