In every beginning lie the first stones of a mission's pillars.
In 1997, our own beginnings were a few suitcases in hand, a calling in our hearts, an unshakable trust in God and a passion for the young people who came to us seeking a listening ear, comfort and new strength.
Our first pillars were the young women who, from the very beginning, transformed our initial plans to take in children. From the start, flexibility, agility and adaptation to needs on the ground were essential. They asked for neither pity nor commiseration, but for a safe place where they could be heard in the pain of their experiences of abandonment, violence and traumatic abuse: a place that would be the doorway to a normal life, to the ability to rise again and take charge of their lives. And so the School of Life was born: a safe space to become oneself, a space of generosity, and the Metamorpho.sYs Journey method, which makes each young person the driving force of their own transformation.
Our pillars were also the young street children who came running to us in the rundown neighborhoods of Quiapo and Recto. It was they who led us to discover the world of juvenile detention, where we developed an innovative form of support that enables 90% of the young people in our aftercare program not to reoffend.
Above all, these young people asked us, in a "gentle whisper", for the gift of our lives. We gave it, joined over the years by many professionals and volunteers. We were convinced that within these settings of suffering, we would see the splendor of Life.
For nearly 30 years, we have witnessed these transformations in young lives, here in the Philippines and now in France as well.
So, welcome to the ACAY mission!
