SAVE THE CHILDREN
In Loving Memory of Mercedes Contreras Danenberg May 31, 1945 - March 15, 2020
Our perusal of Slow Fashion and working with artisans and indigenous communities in the Philippine Islands is part of our advocacy towards a Circular Economy, aimed at eliminating waste, providing livelihood , preserving traditions and instilling pride and sense of purpose not only for our team at ANGKAN but for all of the people that we collaborate with.
On March 15, 2020 I lost my dear aunt Mercedes to cancer, at the onset of this global pandemic. She was a person who was blessed to have a fine tuned clarity in her mind heart and soul in what her purpose was in this life. Her internal moral compass was activated at a very young age and she knew that she had to help the less fortunate. She was a global citizen but was a dedicated servant to the people of the Philippines. She was a brave activist for political change and a feminist, fierce peace negotiator and active environmentalist. An inspiring leader to many but yet had the ability to empathize and touch people she met along the way even in just brief encounters. She especially loved children. To honor my aunt and continue her legacy we have teamed up with Save the Children Philippines, a global non profit organization based in the UK, dedicated to aiding children in need. Besides the basic needs of hygiene, food and education, please check @SavetheChildrenPH feed to see their essential programs to rapidly assist children and their families during this difficult time of COVID.
I’d like to thank ATTY Alberto T. Muyot for this opportunity for ANGKAN to be proactive in the fight to beat COVID and his kind words of remembrance honoring my aunt and her dedication to children .
Carol de Leon | Founder & Creative Director
Angkan
A Letter from the CEO of Save the Children Philippines
Save the Children Philippines is proud to partner with ANGKAN, the organization which continues the legacy of Mercy Contreras-Danenberg, a staunch advocate of human rights and consequently, of children’s rights.
I met Mercy when she was the Commissioner for Human Rights, and I was teaching at the U.P. College of Law. As a newbie on human rights, I learned a lot from the wisdom of Mercy. We shared common positions on human rights when I was Director of the Institute of Human Rights of the U.P. Law Center, most especially on the rights of children. I am glad to note that part of the foundation for Mercy’s work on children’s education was laid when she worked with Save the Children as a Program Officer for Early Childhood Education in the early 1990s.
After her retirement from public service, I was happy when she told me that she was going into basic education as this would give her a hand-on opportunity to focus on the child’s right to education. Mercy then lived her dream of nurturing young minds when she became the Director of the Laguna Bel Air Science School (LBASS). In 2019, she was instrumental in forging a strong partnership between Save the Children and LBASS, with commitment to children’s rights as the bond between the two organizations.
We are grateful for this continuing opportunity to honor Mercy’s advocacy for the rights of children, particularly those who are most deprived.
Alberto T. Muyot | Chief Executive Officer
Save the Children Philippines