A twelve year old girl who woke up one day only to find out that she’d be taken away from her grandmother. An eighteen year old who fled a life of abuse in Samar and ended up roaming the streets of Manila going days without food. A young girl who went against her parents’ will to search for greener pastures away from her hometown. A Malaysian boy who understands little Tagalog and was abandoned by his parents.

These were some of the kids the resident brods met at the Nayon ng Kabataan in Mandaluyong City last April 25. As part of its 70^th Anniversary celebrations, the Fraternity in coordination with the Office of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, hosted talks that aimed to instill the values of honesty and following the law to the youth. The talks in part aimed to fulfill Brod Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno’s (’59) program of partnering with other organizations in order to give back to the community through service outside the confines of work. For April and May, the Office of the Supreme Court would advocate for children’s rights and law.

The Nayon served as the most suitable location since the children living there are being rehabilitated before reintegration to their families and society. Many of the children there have had a brush with the law themselves. Some of the children came from communities where violence and crime are rampant. Others are awaiting resolution for their custody case.

For that morning, the brods became kuyas to those kids as they interacted with them. Many of the kids suffer from homesickness as relatives rarely visit them or are not allowed to do so at all. Most, if not all, bear with their boredom from the monotony of daily routine. Others do not want to live there at all, and have tried to escape or commit suicide. The brods also got to know more about the Nayon itself and see its current condition. The facades of the cottages are brightly colored yet the insides lack adequate facilities to make it more conducive for the children. The compound is surrounded by informal settlers so going to school can be risky for the kids. Indeed, it was an eye-opener for the brods. Moreover, it strengthened the commitment of the Fraternity in providing service to the people.

“I hope that the brods did learn to appreciate doing what we did. Even if we’re done, (I hope) we would be able to continue it,” said Brod Jed M. Eva III ’94 from the Public Information Office of the Supreme Court.

The kids continue to live together as a community, under the watchful eyes and care of the house parents and social workers. As they carry on rebuilding their lives, they equip themselves with the knowledge that through the law, which brought them away from the cruel lives they once lived in, they can continue to help make their lives and that of others better.