"Behind each smile is a story no child deserves
Beyond the story is a chance at a future everyone should have..."
 Within the confines of a dental laboratory, a young man sits engrossed as he works on the metal fitting of dentures to be shipped to Germany. Several kilometers away, a 19-year old examines the engine of a Toyota in the Service Bay of a gas station. It's hard to believe they were once street children.
Former street children trained and cared for by Tuloy Foundation are beginning to prove that their once wayward lives are filled with meaning, and their once hopeless existence filled with purpose.
"Although the success of some of our graduates cannot be compared with that of others who have received higher education, it is already a big achievement for them to choose a productive way of life over going back to the streets," said Fr. Rocky Evangelista, SDB, Project Director.
Working on Other People´s Smiles
Jerson recently completed his third month in InteraDent Zahntechnik (Phils.) Inc., an overseas subsidiary of InteraDent AG based in Luebec, Germany. The company is a pioneer export manufacturer of dental prosthesis and one of the ISO 9002 certified labs in the world. Jerson and six other Tuloy kids passed aptitude and practical tests and are now being trained.
"Our policy is to hire dental technicians who have just graduated . . . except on very rare occasions," said Bernardino Bantegui Jr., President and General Manager. The exception is when InteraDent gets trainees from charitable institutions. Mr. Bantegui learned of Tuloy through the Rotary.
Jerson and his fellow Tuloy kids have not taken up Dentistry and were taught non-formal education in the Center. Consequently, the pressure is greater for them compared to other trainees who are college graduates. And yet, in spite of the odds, Jerson passed the evaluation test given after the third month of training.
Conrad Sadorra, Supervisor of the Wax-Up Department and one of the pioneer employees, said that Jerson even excels in waxing and metal fitting. Sometimes he performs better than some Dental Technology graduates.
Jerson, who is now assigned in the Metal Department, said, "The people here (in InteraDent) have teamwork and they care about each other. (If I become a regular employee) I would like to stay here until I have my own family."
Helping Others Gear Up and Drive
Leonard, a graduate of Automotive Technology, is now a trainee in a UniOil Gas Station. A local Petroleum company, UniOil employs the most number of Tuloy graduates. It first opened in 1966 and is a supplier of quality petroleum products for automotive and industrial use. It is also involved in oil trading and recently went into retail service stations.
 Ronald De Guzman, Human Resource and Administration Manager, said the firm learned about Tuloy through one of their top executives. "(In 1999) the company decided that it would be good to get on-the-job trainees from there to fulfill our socio-civic duty and… complement our manpower," he said.
A year ago, three Tuloy kids started working in the Engineering Department of their Santa Ana office. Now, there are 21 all in all, including the boys assigned in the gas stations in Parañaque. Mr. De Guzman commented that the Tuloy boys are respectful and hard-working. "They are already charged with tasks that involve high confidence," he added.
Leonard, who helps to support his family, said, "While working... I learned how to be professional in my work and always to have the energy and drive to complete a task."
Of the 93 young men who have graduated from Voc-Tech courses in Tuloy, over 50 per cent are now training or working in companies like Honda, Ford Motor Company, AMKOR Annam, Don Bosco Technical Institute, Hardiflex, MVR Specialists, and Star King, Inc.
Today, there are hundreds of thousands of street children in the country. Consumed by their addiction to freedom in the streets and vise, their bony, grimy bodies cannot help but scream for redemption. Former street urchins are lucky somebody heard. Hope is not really far away if people are willing to help. Like Jerson and Leonard, many others can walk the path to a new life. All they need is a chance.
 Back to Top
|
