Heroes Behind the Spotlight

Modern-day heroes are those who give of themselves in the service of humanity. They fight injustice, speak up for the poor and vulnerable, and mobilize efforts to feed the hungry and to rebuild houses and lives affected by war and disasters.

They put their lives on the line to pave the way for light to shine through a world darkened by poverty and hopelessness.

In OneChild’s global community, Child Champions are the modern-day heroes, putting themselves out there to love and care for children who live in the hardest places in the world. They take a step of faith daily, changing lives because they believe that children have God-given potential and can have a successful future no matter what circumstances they have experienced.

In one corner of the world, on one of the 7,641 islands in the Philippines, there are modern-day heroes in a place called Happy Horizons Children’s Ranch (HHCR), where rescued girls who have been trafficked and abused in horrific ways find healing and hope.

Happy Horizon’s Children’s Ranch is a refuge for survivors of trafficking.

Courageous Child Champions at the ranch such as the leaders, pastors, social workers, and teachers work on the front line, brave the complexity and sensitivity of each girl’s situation to give them new beginnings and equip them to face the world full of hope and dreams.

Watch Yan Yan’s story of healing

But not all heroes wear capes, as the saying goes. There are also heroes doing less visible work. Nevertheless, they also play important role in restoring hope in the lives of these children.

Meet these heroes behind the spotlight.

Cooks Elena and Suzette

Elena and Suzette, both in their 40s, have been cooks at HHCR for eight years, together with three other kitchen staff members.

Suzzette, a mom of four, has been serving kids at HHCR for nearly a decade.

Their days start a little earlier than everyone else’s. Elena and Suzette live in the neighborhood, not too far from the ranch. At 4 a.m., while it’s still dark, they walk to the ranch accompanied by the sound of roosters crowing.

As soon as they arrive in the kitchen, they don their chosen armor —  aprons and hair nets to keep the kitchen hygienic and the food safe.

Two of Elena’s five kids attend a OneChild Hope Center, and she says her family has been blessed by their sponsors.

Girls at the ranch learn the ropes of food service from Suzzette and Elena and the other kitchen staff.

The next thing Elena and Suzette do is to pull out two massive rice cookers. Rice, paired with savory dishes, is a staple food in Filipino households.

Elena and Suzette wash and cut the vegetables, meat, and spices, as they prepare the menu for the day, which is overseen by their resident nurse to ensure that the kids are getting their nutritional needs met.

Then they cook the sumptuous and hearty dishes that the kids love.

Every day, their joy comes from serving food to around 50 people, including the children and staff living at the ranch.

“We love it when we are done cooking,” says Suzette. “They tell us that the food is good, and they would ask for more.”

But their role does not stop as cooks at the ranch. Elena and Suzette also teach life skills to the children such as food preparation, cooking, and basic housekeeping.

And over time, by doing things together in the kitchen, they develop a mother-daughter-like relationship with the girls.

“We are like a mother to them. We give them advice and remind them that they only need to trust God,” Elena says.

Elena and Suzette are both mothers and know what it’s like for a child to be away from home. And so, by serving tasty and nutritious food to these children and being close to them, they are able to ease the children’s longing for the comfort of their loved ones.

Mama Rosie, a Caring Houseparent

Not long ago, Rosie heard a girl crying. It echoed in the spacious, clean, and well-ventilated dormitory at the ranch. The girl was staying in one of the many bunk beds in the room.

Rosie rushed from the houseparent room to comfort and pray for the young girl, and then put her back to sleep.

Mama Rosie thinks of the girls in her care as her own children, and she’s available to them night and day.

The girls at the ranch call her “Mama” Rosie.

The houseparent room is conveniently located inside the dormitory near where the girls sleep.

It’s not uncommon for a girl in the dorm to have a breakdown or nightmare, which is a typical body response with someone who has experienced trauma.

When Rosie first became a houseparent, she viewed it as just another job. But it didn’t take long to change her perspective of these vulnerable young girls.

“At first, I felt like my work here was just work,” Rosie says. “But now, I consider [the girls] as my own family, the way I treat my own children.” Rosie has four children of her own.

After three years of being a houseparent, Rosie has learned to become sensitive to the needs of the 15 young girls under her care.

“I would sense if they were sick,” she says.

The HHCR nurse meets regularly with the houseparents to ensure the health of the girls in their care.

From 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., the houseparents stay with the girls to guide them in their morning and night routines. This includes waking them up, helping them with their hygiene, assigning chores, ensuring they eat nutritious meals and take their vitamins, preparing them for school, praying and leading short devotions with them, and getting them ready for bed.

Rosie knows how challenging her work is. And she is grateful for the support HHCR leaders give her to help her care for herself holistically through therapy sessions and trainings.

“Our job [as houseparents] is noble. We get to be like their parents, teachers, and nurses to the girls.”

For Rosie, listening to the child is an important skill in order to understand her and help her. That’s why her daily prayer includes asking God to give her peace and knowledge of how to handle her work.

“I want to tell the girls that I am blessed [as their houseparent]. That it’s not the end of the world and that there is a [better] future that awaits them,” Rosie says.

Kuya Junior, the Night Guard

Kuya Junior, 60, comes to work at the ranch at twilight, carrying his handy flashlight. (Kuya is a Filipino term of respect for an older man or brother.)

During a break in patrol Kuya Junior sits with Scott, one of the ranch’s watchdogs. Their ears are constantly alert to the smallest sounds.

Just before the sun goes down, Kuya Junior turns on the light posts around the ranch. Then he does his first patrol around the area, checking the entry and exit points to ensure that they are properly locked and that no stranger has sneaked inside.

Kuya Junior patrolling the grounds including the playground area.

By this time, the children have finished their dinner at the mess hall and are returning to their dorms accompanied by their houseparents for their wind-down routine.

“I make sure that no bad people could get inside. That’s my priority,” says Kuya Junior.

At midnight, which is a “red alert” time for him, he does his second patrol around the ranch. He flashes the light in the dark corners and around the fences and leaves no areas unmonitored.

To protect lives and properties has been Kuya Junior’s life’s mission for more than 25 years. And in those years, he has helped the children and staff living inside the ranch to sleep soundly at night.

“I love my work here. I will sacrifice my life here,” Kuya Junior says.

In 2024 he will be retiring, and he hopes for the children to have a great future.

“I hope that they will study well because that’s where their future lies,” he says.

The Woman in Charge, Ate Teresa

Ate Teresa usually sits quietly at her workshop. (Ate is a Filipino term of respect for an older woman or sister.) Sometimes, all you can hear is the whirring of her sewing machine or the clanking sounds of crafting tools to know that she is there.

She may be a quiet person, but she is a busy woman who wears many hats at HHCR.

Ate Teresa, 57, wife of Kuya Junior, is the officer-in-charge (OIC) of the ranch. She oversees the housekeeping and child care.

She also leads the livelihood programs for the children teaching them many skills like sewing, making chimes and lamps out of capiz shells, weaving, and many other potential income-generating skills.

On top of that, she is also a leader in her local church.

“It is not an easy job being an OIC. It’s hard to manage people,” says Teresa.

Although Teresa did not finish college, HHCR has given her the opportunity to learn and grow in her job.

HHCR has been Teresa’s training ground. At first, she was reluctant around the kids, but now she loves them with all her heart.

“Hearing the stories of the children here, I was changed,” she says. “I love them.”

For 26 years, Ate Teresa has dedicated her life as a beacon of hope for the girls.

“God has put me here to guide them and they are our accountability to God,” she says, “and I love that I can impart to them God’s Word during devotions, to remind and encourage them.”

All for the Sake of Saving Lives

Elena, Suzette, Rosie, Kuya Junior, and Ate Teresa are just a few of the 48 courageous Child Champions of HHCR and thousands around the world. They may have distinct roles to play, but one thing is for sure: They all have one goal — to transform children’s lives from the depths of hopelessness and injustices to a life full of love and healing.

To all the Child Champions around the world, thank you for being our heroes.

A Closer Look: Tourism and Trafficking

The province of Cebu is one of the fastest-growing economies in the Philippines. Its capital, Cebu City, is highly urbanized and it attracted many investors to build businesses here. Having a convenient international airport, many foreigners fly here directly for either business or tourism.

Over the years, Cebu has become a tourism hub as well, showcasing its natural beauty throughout the island such as the breathtaking diving spots and pristine beaches.

This rising economy benefited a lot of the locals on the island, especially with the availability of white-collar jobs in the city that promise better income than those in the countryside.

With all the positive impact this has brought to Cebu’s economy, sadly, it has also had a fair share of negative impacts. “Sex tourism” also rose as the city’s economic status soared.

The problem with “sex tourism” not only involved adult women being trafficked in bars and streets, but also minors who were forced to work in these places. And as years passed by, sex trafficking has evolved into the virtual world called cybersex trafficking.

Younger children are lured to do horrific acts in front of a camera, sometimes by the people they trust the most, in exchange for money from a foreign pedophile across the world. This problem is called online sexual exploitation of children, or OSEC.

A few years ago, the Philippines was considered a global hotspot of OSEC. Local and international authorities, and organizations like International Justice Mission have worked together to fight this global problem. Many children from Cebu were rescued from OSEC. And to this day, rescue efforts are still being done.

For more than 25 years, Happy Horizons Children’s Ranch in Cebu has been on the mission of saving children from this dark place and giving them a place to heal.

Be a hero and join us in  saving and restoring lives. Sponsor a child today.