The Story of EYCA in Bohol: How Empowering Others Empowered Themselves

The ECPAT Youth and Children Advocates, also dubbed as “EYCA”, is a sub-group composed of children and young people formed by the organisation ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking) Philippines and supported by Terre des Hommes Netherlands in the Philippines. Established in 2014, its ultimate goal is to empower children and youth advocates across the country, which is achieved through peer learning and awareness campaigns on children’s rights. 

For its current volunteers belonging to the age group of 17 to 24, and alumni, the distinctive approach of EYCA that caught their hearts and dedication as members was its peer education strategy and the passing on of skills and knowledge from one generation to the next. Children and youth at risk and survivors of exploitation are trained by other youth, and then they go on to become trainers themselves. 

EYCA together with Terre des Hommes Netherlands, ECPAT Philippines, Bidlisiw Foundation and Philippines Against Child Trafficking, is working through the Project CONEC (Creating a safer Online Environment for Every Child) to raise the awareness of children in Metro Manila, Bohol and Cebu, Philippines on online child sexual exploitation (OCSE), strengthen systems of protection, and provide appropriate support to victims and children at-risk, and their families. 

“It feels good to see change happen because of you,” says Christian, an active member of over 9 years and the current president of EYCA Bohol. He goes on to explain that at such a young age, they feel extremely proud to have been empowered to support other children and youth. Now, each following generation of their communities since 2018 has been passing on the same influence, reaping a (hopefully) constant chain of empowerment. He coins EYCA’s programmes as “transformative and sustainable”.

Before becoming president and a professional, Christian joined and led seminars and trainings on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC), communications campaigns like parades and social experiments, and even fully produced online shows focusing on human trafficking. These are only a few of the extensive programs he has helped from his teenage to his professional years. 

“Don’t just be a human, be a human with a purpose” is the personal mantra of Christian. He says that being part of the organisation has helped him find his purpose of helping reach the target of zero cases of abuse. This is why despite the many challenges they experience as volunteers, he continues to stay. 

Today, Christian is a familiar name in his school, community and industry as a child rights advocate. Even the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) runs to him to seek support for some of their efforts.

Nicolas, one of the first few members of EYCA, shares his active involvement with the organisation for almost a whole decade. Since he first joined at the ripe age of 16, he has actively supported projects on training peers, relief operations and feeding programmes for people affected by disasters.

He is now 25 years old, a proud teacher at a private school and still volunteering. “EYCA is where we and I came from. It has become our family, our shoulder.” He goes on to say that his self-confidence and becoming the educator that he is now is because of his experience in the organisation.

“I am driven by knowing that I am able to become the voice of the untold stories*,” says Nicolas. In his many years as a member and volunteer, he has heard countless stories of children who were not able to speak out about their experiences, especially of those who personally come to him for support. Nicolas is proud to serve as the bridge and guiding light for them through his efforts as a volunteer facilitator, even without the salary or the extra hours he needs to put in. “I will always go back to where I came from, and that is EYCA and the children it helps,” he says.

One of the many interesting career journeys was also that of Locloc. He was also one of the very first few members of EYCA who has joined and supported community education activities, distribution of materials to youth groups, and upskilling sessions, among many others.

Locloc is proud to have recently passed the Criminology Board Exam and is now working on the next steps to become a certified police officer. “Actually, my experience in EYCA has pushed me to choose this career path of entering the police force,” he says. Because of the stories that opened his eyes to the reality of child trafficking and abuse in the country, Locloc has also found his purpose in protecting and preventing these cases. Not only has he found his calling through the organisation, ECPAT Philippines has also been supporting him through his journey, by actually sheltering him during this time and improving his many skills.

“We already had the passion, but we needed the opportunity or the trigger to help us put it into work — and that has been the role of ECPAT Philippines and Terre des Hommes Netherlands in our lives. They really moulded us to become the professionals we are now.”

These alumni, together with other EYCA participants, members, volunteers and many of them who are now professionals, have the same outcry, “so long as there are still victims, we will not stop”.