From troubled past to hopeful future
How Abdul finds guidance and healing
Abdul was only 14 when he and eight of his friends tried to rob equipment from an automotive shop. Someone witnessed the act and reported it to the police. They ran away, but one of them got caught.
The next morning, one of Abdul’s friends warned him that police were coming to his home, and that he should leave. “But I said, ‘We should just surrender.’ I don’t want to be on the run for the rest of my life,” said Abdul.
After giving himself up to the police, Abdul was taken to a center for women and children in Maguindanao. The center was established as a last resort place for survivors of gender-based violence but now also caters to children in conflict with the law and children at risk of abuse.
UNICEF believes that every child should grow up in a safe and loving family. Their approach focuses on preventing children from being separated from their families by supporting services in communities. Social workers can serve as trusted mediators and connectors between families and the services they need. Social workers are often the first line of response for children in harm’s way, and UNICEF equips them to identify risks, manage family crises, and promote safe, nurturing environments. This includes helping parents and children rebuild trust, improve communication, and resolve conflicts in ways that prevent unnecessary separation.
Second, if children cannot live with their parents, UNICEF promotes and prioritizes family-based alternatives like kinship care (with relatives) or foster care in line with international agreements like the UN Guidelines on Alternative Care and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Abdul said he learned various life skills from his houseparents, which would prepare him for his eventual return to his home. “It was good to listen to their teachings about doing good deeds,” he said.
On a typical day, Abdul woke up early to clean up, cook, and do other chores. In between, he also learned to do arts and crafts, as well as basic Arabic. “I enjoyed myself there because I was unable to do bad things,” he said.
Abdul’s aunt and mother figure Joan provides him with guidance. “He has realized that what he did was wrong, and it’s also kind of embarrassing for him,” said Joan.
“I’m thankful that I got to spend time in the center,” said Abdul. “I learned a lot there, and I experienced a lot with them [houseparents]. If it weren’t for them, we’d probably still be troublemakers now.”
I’m thankful that I got to spend time in the center. I learned a lot there, and I experienced a lot with them [houseparents]. If it weren’t for them, we’d probably still be troublemakers now.
Funded by the Korean Government through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and delivered in partnership with UNICEF Philippines, the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD), and Community and Family Services International (CFSI), this initiative strengthens the skills of social workers and other key stakeholders to handle child protection cases like Abdul’s. It also increases community awareness of the importance of reporting child protection cases so they are addressed promptly, helping ensure that children are safe wherever they may be.
Social workers and other stakeholders need specialized skills in handling cases like Abdul’s. For instance, they need to learn that adolescents’ brain function reaches maturity only at around 16 years old, affecting their reasoning and impulse control. They also learned about case management, coordination with other services agencies, and how to ensure children do not relive their traumas.
Since coming home from the center, Abdul has shown changes in behavior, according to Joan. “He doesn’t go out that much anymore,” she said. And when he does go out, he comes home at a reasonable time. Abdul has also started helping out in household chores like washing dishes, gathering firewood, and watching over the store.
Joan got to participate in one of the Strong Family sessions with Abdul while he was still in Kanlungan. “I learned that you should take time to bond and communicate with your child,” she said. “If they ask for something, give them your attention. And if they do something wrong, don’t immediately get angry. Ask them if there’s a problem or if they need anything.”
Because Abdul’s parents are often away working in a farm, Joan has treated him as her own son since he was very young. Her husband is supportive of this, since they have no children of their own. When he has no classes, Abdul sometimes helps out her parents at the farm, where they plant crops like rice and corn.
He is currently in 11th grade, and hopes to become a soldier someday. “I just want him to finish his studies,” said Joan, vowing to support him for as long as she can. Meanwhile, Abdul looks back at his time at the center with fondness—grateful for turning him into the person that he is now.
***name changed to protect identity
