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KôZ International is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
What We Do
The Challenge: Urban Poverty
There are over 1 billion people in the world living in densely populated urban environments. Many of these real people earn less than $2 a day and exist in extreme poverty. In many cases, fathers and mothers work multiple jobs but still cannot earn enough money to provide adequate meals or sufficient security for their families. As a result, youth often exchange school for jobs in order to bring additional income to the family. This can leave younger children without proper supervision and their older siblings without a future. Daily they toil with little hope to make a secure future for themselves or their families. Lack of access to adequate income and employment are prime contributors to the problem of urban poverty. Lack of education makes these obstacles even greater.
We believe we can play a part in overcoming these major barriers!
Our first opportunity for real impact was evident in the Philippines. Through a series of visits, we fell in love with some young people and a school in Manila and were inspired to do everything we could to give the students opportunities that were out of their reach. These connections supercharged our desires and goals! Out of this passion, KôZ was birthed.
We Provide Education for At-Risk Youth
Kids of any age that drop out of school in order to pursue some sort of income truly are “at risk.” They are susceptible to addiction, suicide, slavery, human trafficking, and severe hopelessness. Though local schooling is available to middle and upper class families and to any child that attends continuously, there is no safety net for those who drop out – no matter what the reason. Education and opportunity simply move on without them.
This is where KôZ comes in.
We sponsor a school in Manila, Philippines that provides holistic education specifically for youth without access to traditional education. The alternative learning system we use offers opportunities for a child (age 13+) to pursue a program of education – from primary through college – with the support, encouragement, and love of caring teachers and leaders.
The school provides:
• Level specific AL (alternative learning) education programs
• School supplies
• Dental care and medical care as needed
• Breakfast and lunch daily
• Leadership training
• Discipleship
• Counseling
Many families in urban poor communities cannot afford the necessities of caring for basic nutritional and educational needs. Our hope is to help families keep their kids healthy and in school before the weight of financial struggle becomes too burdensome causing the domino effect mentioned above.
With this in mind our school also provides nutrition and school supply assistance for struggling families with young children (age 5+) still in school.
Our aim is to give the students that come to our school the training, development and support they need to thrive. In the process of doing so, we thread the hope of the gospel into every seam. Developing students with solid, Christ-centered identities is critical to our mission and to their success.
