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About us

The youth work Onesimo was founded in 1996 and offers every year different camps and training courses to hundreds of young people from Manila's slums.
Street children find a way out of drug use and destructive behavior in rehabilitation.
The therapeutic communities and residential centers have become crucial life support for many of the stranded teenagers from the slums.
The work of Onesimo is under state supervision and is recognized as a non-profit organization and licensed by the social welfare office.

Origin

Onesimo was founded by the Swiss couple Christine and Christian Schneider, who accompanied street children in Manila on behalf of Servants Switzerland. After nine years in the slums, the Schneider family returned to Switzerland in 2003. From Basel, the Schneider couple coordinates the volunteer work in Europe with the leadership team in Manila and ensures communication between donors and contact persons in Manila such as the board of directors, the executive director or the sponsored children.

 

Addition

Since 2002, the Swiss Daniel Wartenweiler also lived with the poor in Manila for fourteen years and founded the children's ministry Onesimo Kids "Bulilit" in addition to the Onesimo Youth. In 2016, Daniel Wartenweiler returned to Switzerland with his Filipino wife Lynette and their three children. Here they help on a voluntary basis in the coordination of the overall work.

 

Non-profit associations in the Philippines

Onesimo Foundation, Inc. has been registered as a non-profit organization by the Philippine government since 1996. It enjoys tax exemption and is licensed by the Department of Social Welfare (DSWD) as a social institution. In 2009, Onesimo Bulilit (Kids) was registered as a subsidiary organization of Onesimo in the Philippines and licensed by the Department of Social Welfare.

Mission Statement

The Bible tells how Paul turns young Onesimus from a slave into a friend. Onesimo wants to free people from the enslavement of poverty, equip them for a free life and change with them the world of today and tomorrow for the good.
The children of the street and stranded youth from the slums have little chance of a life with dignity, meaning and social respect. But as personalities created by God, they have a right to it.
In order for them to experience the Christian faith in a concrete way, Onesimo wants to encourage their self-confidence and initiative without alienating them from their environment.

Management

On the board of Onesimo Foundation, Inc. are experienced and renowned professionals from Manila, Christian Schneider as initiator and co-founder of the work as well as a representation from Servants Manila.
The main director and most of the senior staff are from Manila and know the conditions in the slums for the most part from their own experience. Their know-how covers the fields of social work, education, theology, psychology, accounting and management.
Please download the actual organisational chart.

Board of Directors

Josefina Gutierrez

President / Chairman

Dr. Annabel Manalo

Vice President, Vice Chairman

Eugene Villanueva

Treasurer

Catherine Flores

BOT Member

Dr. Thomas Wartenweiler

BOT Member International

Atty. Joel Butuyan

BOT Secretary

Christian Schneider

Founding member

Management Team

Rosa Pecio

Executive Director Onesimo

Dennis Manas

Deputy Executive Director, Director of Programs

Hazel Jan Sarol

Campsite & Farm Manager

Dr. Jennifor Aguilar

Director of Schooling and Training, Education Consultant

An overview of all Onesimo employees can be found here (.pdf Download).

Partner

The following partner organisations in Europe work in close cooperation with the two NGOs Onesimo Youth and Onesimo Bulilit in the Philippines. In Switzerland and Germany donations are exempt from taxes.

The activities of the partner organisations include in particular the handling of the administration of donations, the support of the staff working abroad, the informing of the donors about the development of the projects as well as a general awareness-raising in the public about people living in slums.

Servants Switzerland

Servants Switzerland is the aid organisation that provides donation management in Switzerland.

You will find further information in this information sheet.

OJC

The OJC has supported the work of Onesimo for years.

https://www.ojc.de/

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