IT WAS set up to give hope to thousands of people living in appalling conditions in the Philippines.
Now, ten years on, inspirational Jane Walker hopes her Philippine Community Fund (PCF) charity can continue to provide immeasurable help for another decade.
The Hampshire-based charity is marking the landmark with a celebration party at the end of April.
Jane set up the fund following a life-changing trip to the Philippines in 1996.
She witnessed the toil of families living on rubbish dumps in Manila and cemeteries in Navotas, where she made it her aim to set up a day care centre.
The centre was set up and she privately funded it for six years, before realising that the needs of the children were becoming too great for her resources.
The charity was registered in the UK with the Charity Commission in 2002, and with the Security Exchange and Commission in the Philippines in 2003.
Jane, who now lives most of the time in Manila, was awarded an MBE for her outstanding charity work in the Philippines and was named woman of the year by the Woman of the Year Foundation for 2009/10.
The charity provides education for young children, who benefit from its developed nutrition, medical, social care and livelihood programmes.
It has worked hard to stop child labourers working on the dump sites and to get them into education.
Adults living in slums also benefit from PCF’s training projects that offer families an alternative income to waste picking.
Jane said: “The birthday event is twofold. It’s to thank all the supporters for supporting us over the last ten years and to celebrate the achievements the charity has made.
“I couldn’t imagine it (the charity) being what it is now.
“I wanted a holistic approach to child poverty and we needed to get involved in education and nutrition, and needed employment for the children. It’s step by step, year by year growth.”
Despite the success, Jane remains focused and admits every day is a challenge.
She added: “The aim now is making sure the students we do have get well-paid jobs and get the training they need to get jobs.
“The long-term aim is we want to be instrumental in moving and relocating the communities off the dump sites and back into the provinces they came from.
“We are hoping we can get over 100 people to the event.
Even for those people that don’t know anything about the charity, it is a good opportunity to find out more.”
The celebration will take place at Itchen College Hall, Middle Road, Bitterne, on April 27. Guests are advised to attend for 2pm, for a 2.15pm start, and the event will finish at 4pm.
It will give attendees the chance to oversee everything the charity has achieved over the past ten years, as well as fun games and prizes. There will be tea, coffee and cake.
To attend, e-mail info@ p-c-f.org, or call 01489 790219.
The event is free.
Original Article HERE
Things are very busy at PCF UK office (as usual!)…
Before school officially marked its end, there was one last gathering which students, most especially those from PCF were all excited about. 
No, it’s not Christmas but yes it feels like one!
