C.U.R.E. Foundation
Cebu, Philippines
In the Philippines, 40% of the population lives in poverty with over 5 million families not having enough food for one complete meal a day. Over 6 million children are living in the streets, 2.8 million Filipinos are illiterate, and 7 out of 10 pregnant women in the Philippines are minors. An estimated 60,000 to 100,000 children are trafficked, abused and sold into sexual slavery per year.
The C.U.R.E. Foundation is a ministry arm of Maranatha Christian Fellowship, which was established in 1990 after the Typhoon Ruping. It aims to bring social transformation in the Philippines by providing training programs and initiatives that restore human dignity, elevate family life, and promote access to proper health, nutrition and quality education.
C.U.R.E. is located in Cebu City, Philippines, a haven for the child sex industry, and runs a child discipleship program that buses 750 to 800 kids from 6 slums to their center each Saturday. Children at the center are fed, offered a bath, medically treated, and taught the Word of God.
Tragic local news permeated the airwaves in 2010, about the growing number of little girls and women being sexually trafficked and abused in the streets. Following the brutal and senseless murder of a 6-year old girl by a suspected pedophile, the leadership of Maranatha Christian Fellowship through C.U.R.E. Foundation, responded to the call for justice by creating Mothers Against Child Exploitation (MACE); an awareness campaign that is being championed by mothers who will not stop advocating for justice until all children are safe and child trafficking and exploitation is nonexistent.
The formation of Rancho Ni Cristo (Ranch of Christ) was brought forth by this outcry. The ranch was established to shelter and restore dignity back to girls and women rescued from internet cybersex and sex trafficking industries. Sadly, these industries are growing exponentially and destroy the lives of many in poor communities, of which children are most risk.
Rancho Ni Cristo, built on 3-hectares of agricultural land outside the city, is a safe haven for children who have experienced the horrors of sex trafficking. 5 cottages have been completed with a long-term plan to eventually hold 10 cottages on the property. A school has been built. Children receive counseling and inner healing from the dehumanizing abuse and violence they have received. They are mentored through bible study, prayer and discipleship programs, and are taught Christian values and conduct, practical livelihood skills and attitudes such as productivity, ethics and integrity. The children are also offered educational and vocational opportunities and assistance to find meaningful employment after graduating.
Residents of Rancho Ni Cristo enjoy participating in crafts, gardening, and outside activities in a Christ centered environment, bringing restoration to their bodies, hearts, minds, and soul.
If you would like to give to CURE or Rancho Ni Cristo, donate below: