Happy Horizons Children's Ranch
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Happy Horizons Children's Ranch

 

Happy Horizons Children’s Ranch  is  a humanitarian ministry of the Assemblies  of  God, Philippines. It   is  a  non-profit  organization   dedicated  to  the rehabilitation and defense of street children in the Philippines The Founding Directors, Glenn & Nancy Garrison are   leading   advocates  of  children's  rights  in  the region. Happy  Horizons  monitors  and  cares for hundreds of street children, many of whom have   been   abandoned    or    orphaned    by   civil   war, abused  or  rejected  by  dysfunctional    and   poverty-stricken   families,   and    further    traumatized  by   the indifference of the societies in  which  they  live.

 Ubiquitous  and  growing    in  numbers,  many  far  too  young to comprehend  their  fate,  they   beg,  steal,  and   sell  themselves  for a hot meal, a hot shower, a  clean  bed.  Living   on   the   edge   of   survival,  they   are  often swept in an undertow  of  beatings,  illegal   detentions,   torture,   sexual   abuse,  rape,  and  murder.   Happy Horizons  is  dedicated to helping these children off the streets and back on the road to  meaningful  and  productive  lives. Last  year, Happy Horizons gave assistance to hundreds   of   children   through   a   four-tiered   program   that  fosters  stability and restores hope.

 

Street Outreach

 

The  first  step  is to reach out to the kids. Happy Horizon's Outreach teams, provide street children with emergency medical care, counseling, non-formal education, and friendship. The  children  are  then  encouraged to leave the streets and seek further assistance at our Crisis Centers. Happy Horizon's goal is to get the children off the street -- not to provide food and clothing whilst they are on the street. The Outreach Team  works  with  hundreds  of  street  children each year in each of the major areas serviced.

 

Crisis Centers

 

Happy  Horizons  works  with  a  number of Shelters, which provide the children with a structured  and  supportive  environment.  In  the  Crisis Centers, they are fed, clothed, given  a  clean  bed, diagnostic  and  medical  treatment, educational  and  vocational training, security, and most important of all -- love and hope. In addition, all are provided  with  drug counseling. Boys and girls take shelter every night in each of the Crisis Centers. Only about half of those who enter the Crisis Centers initially stay more than a couple of nights.

 

About half of the children who return to the streets will eventually re-enter Crisis Centers for  an  average stay of a few months. There, they actively participate in a development plan -- setting attainable goals for their short-term and medium-term future. Children also participate in non-formal educational activities, which prepare them for the public school system. Once the children become more stable, they move on to the next stage.

 

 

Transition Home

 

The  long  range  plan  for  Happy  Horizons  is to provide a Transition Home that helps children  develop  long-range  goals  and  inspire  a  desire  for  an  independent  and productive life. After their stay at Happy Horizons Children's Ranch, they will continue to be  assisted  with  furthering  education, job  training  and  job  placement to make sure theirs is a Happy Future.

 

Group Home

 

Perhaps the most important step in the arduous journey from despair to self-sufficiency involves  residency  in  the Children’s Ranch where children are nurtured by a carefully chosen  team  of  counselors  who try to replicate a positive family environment. It is in such  a  setting that children learn to bond with a surrogate family while pursuing further educational  or  professional  opportunities.  Happy  Horizons’  goal  is  to  operate Children’s facilities throughout the Asia Pacific area, caring for both boys and girls. The children remain at the Ranch until their eighteenth birthday or until they have completed their  education. When  the  children  leave  the  home  as  young  adults,  they  have vocational and life skills indispensable for independent living. They are encouraged to pursue formal education or more advanced job training.