THE fight is still far from over for jiujitsu queen Meggie Ochoa.
Earlier this year, after the lockdown was imposed nationwide to slow down the spread of the virus in April, Ochoa strengthened her advocacy against child abuse through partnering with Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, where she facilitated a workout fundraiser, for "Project S.A.F.E."
This initiative doled out assistance to families who may be vulnerable to resorting to online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) over the pandemic.
Numerous reports have pointed out that relatives and families often resort to offering children for sexual livestreams as a way to make ends meet. It's a phenomenon that may even have increased during the pandemic lockdowns. From March to May this year, the Department of Justice annonced that "cybertips", reports related to online offenses against children, often sexual in nature, increased by 264.63% compared to last year's statistics.
This spurred SEA Games gold medalist to participate with the stakeholders of "Project S.A.F.E." While poverty is one of the biggest factors to resorting to OSEC, unfamiliarity of the whole issue is also one, so, the whole effort intended to raise awareness and increase vigilance among the communities most vulnerable to OSEC by doing house-to-house intervention.
Now, to cap off 2020, Ochoa partnered with Poveda batch 2008 and JCI San Juan Dambana to create a raffle-type fundraiser titled "A Chance to Protect", that will benefit five organizations working in preventing OSEC under the Freedom Sunday Network Philippines.
It's a continuation of a similar project last year... but this time, with social distancing tweaks.
"Last year. we did an actual fundraising event where the 2019 SEA Games medalists of the Jiujitsu Federation of the Philippines taught a seminar for a fee, and 100% of funds raised were donated to the same beneficiaries," she explained to SPIN Life.
She continued, "This year, since physical events are not possible, we have to resort to online means. There is a greater need because of the likelihood of increased OSEC incidence due to the risk factors caused by the crisis."
This powered through Ochoa's initiative to push through with an effort with the help of the digital platform.
"A Chance to Protect" opens its raffle starting today, December 14. You can join for just P100 per entry. The announcement of prizes (from 45 brand partners) will be announced in a closing event on December 20. You can register by tapping here: bit.ly/achancetoprotect
The Southeast Asian Games gold medalist revealed that the money accummulated would be used in various ways in care of the beneficiary foundations.
"We aim to raise P250,000 for the five organizations," she said. "DSWD has additional requirements for homes due to COVID 19 protocols that entail additional costs like for example when there are newly rescued children they need to be quarantined in a separate space and that requires additional costs like personnel, setup of space, furnishings, hygiene materials, [and others]."
She added that according to the International Justice Mission, 81 children have been rescued from OSEC over the pandemic period. "[This] means the more children there are to take care of the more costs it will entail for the organizations," said Ochoa. "Each organization is different and the specific needs may vary that’s why we decided to raise actual funds for less complication and so it can be used for the specific needs of each."
Come 2021, Ochoa targets to help more people as she continues to partner with the same organization to create more initiatives.
For the past two years, Ochoa has been active in empowering child victims, orphans, and survivors of sexual violence and online sexual abuse by introducing them to jiujitsu.
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