About Town | Join #FightToProtect and Poveda batch ‘08 in whole-day workout fundraiser to fight online sexual child abuse

Poveda batch 2008 and Fight to Protect, an organization focused on tackling child sexual violence by creating awareness through sports, invite everyone to support the cause through the whole-day workout fundraiser Sweat to Protect. The funds will go directly to Project S.A.F.E (Support and Awareness to Fight Exploitation), a community-based effort by Nazarene Compassionate Ministries that targets the rising cases of child trafficking due to the COVID-19 community quarantine, by providing relief goods and child-safety orientations in vulnerable communities. 

Stay active, and help children stay protected

Sweat to Protect, hosted by Fight to Protect and Povedans Batch ‘08, will feature a series of workout sessions such as yoga, high intensity interval training, dance fitness, and jiu jitsu fitness by instructors from Poveda Batch ‘08 Mariana Bantug, Paui Peña, Chrissie Torres-Jamlang, Meggie Ochoa and guest instructor MYX VJ Anton Fausto. The event will be hosted by veteran radio DJ Katz Salao. This will be streamed online via FB Live at fb.com/fight2protect on May 2, 2020, running from 9:00AM to 6:00PM. To join in and get your active workout fix, you can register by donating to Project S.A.F.E. via the link bit.ly/projectsafe2020.

Through donations that will go a long way in protecting children from online sexual violence, not only will registrants enjoy an extensive lineup of live workout sessions, but they will also get a chance to win exciting raffle prizes from partner brands. The raffle prizes will be a separate bonus treat, on top of the special discounts from Under Armour Philippines that each and every donor will be receiving.

Project S.A.F.E. empowers people to fight OSEC

“Project S.A.F.E.’s goal is to raise funds to supply OSEC-vulnerable communities with ‘safe packages’ - gift packs that include basic needs such as food and home items, so that families will not have to resort to crime to make ends meet during the COVID-19 lockdown. By providing them with basic needs, families can focus on nurturing a safe environment and building happy relationships which allow children to thrive,” shares Meggie Ochoa, Fight to Protect founder and Jiu Jitsu national athlete who takes great pride in using sport as a platform to spread awareness on fighting OSEC.

Project S.A.F.E. benefits select vulnerable communities in Iligan city and Taytay city, both of which have been known to have a history of rampant cases of OSEC based on previously conducted rescue operations.

During the distribution of the goods to beneficiaries, orientations about COVID-19 and OSEC are being held to equip local families with the proper knowledge to make informed decisions. Official hotlines are being promoted as well, to encourage reporting for potential cases of online child abuse. More than donating goods to the community, the project’s goal is to sustain long-term impact by educating the locals and empowering them with ways to take care of their family and community by proactively taking action.

To learn more about how you can support Project S.A.F.E. and participate in Sweat to Protect, visit the link bit.ly/projectsafe2020, the Facebook event page, and the official pages of Fight to Protect at fb.com/fight2protect and instagram.com/fighttoprotect. Feel free to also share about the cause by using the hashtags #ProjectSAFE and #FightToProtect.