Love146 provides holistic care for survivors of child sexual exploitation and journeys with them as they are reintegrated back into communities. A decade ago, one of the first needs we encountered as an organization was the lack of safe places for children who were being rescued out of exploitation. We began by supporting and expanding existing safe homes throughout Asia, knowing that trafficked and exploited children can be freed & restored only if effective aftercare is waiting for them. That’s when we met award-winning psychologist, Dr. Gundelina Velazco, who had a philosophy of aftercare that required a different kind of safehome. So we built it....

ROUND HOME IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Love146 Round Home is uniquely built and designed to facilitate the restoration and holistic health of every child entering its doors. A tree house is used for therapy sessions. A volleyball court is available to play on. There's even a punching bag for children to work out their aggression. The physical structure of the Round Home is intended to promote reflectiveness, a sense of peace, freedom, dignity and self-esteem, as well as playfulness so that children can simply be children again.

The approach to running the home is attuned to the needs of the exploited and traumatized child, which include both the needs of ordinary children as well as children who have been wounded in many ways, lack hope, are broken, lack opportunities and self-worth. Therefore, the Round Home is characterized by efforts to keep the child safe and well provided for, instill hope, effect healing and restoration, promote growth and development, facilitate the release of potentials, and enable the child to come full circle, liberated from their traumas and sufferings, to realize their innate worth. The Round Home aims to be a safe base from which the girls can derive the strength and courage to later tackle the world outside.

You can view our most recent Round Home Project Proposal here.

REINTEGRATION & FAMILY RECONCILIATION

Aftercare does not end when a girl leaves the Round Home. Love146 journeys with girls, aiming for a holistic reintegration into society. It has been commonly observed that when girls from safe homes are reintegrated into their communities, they either get re-trafficked or return to a community environment laced with shame issues, ongoing risk factors, family dysfunction, stereotypes, and taboos. Love146 works to bring families into the restoration process if possible, which sometimes requires locating lost family members.   

We would like to make a difference by giving our reintegrated girls a better fighting chance. Our reintegration research has shown what they need, foremost of which are livelihood, education, and assistance in major life events. Like many Love146 programs, Reintegration is informed by and contributes to our growing body of research.