(Editor’s note: Some items in this piece were corrected.)

MANILA, Philippines—Coming soon on the busy and noisy roads of the metropolis: Rainbow-colored vans with snazzy interiors where street children can learn how to use a computer and surf the Internet to access information that used to be beyond their reach.

Intended to service street children who wander city streets largely unprotected from violence and exploitation, these “mobile education vans” will be touring communities in Quezon City and other parts of Metro Manila early next year.

The traveling “libraries” will help stir the curiosity of out-of-school children, leading them to take a peek inside the van. Once inside, they will be taught how to read and write.

Those who are a bit more tech-savvy can also try their hand at using a laptop computer which has broadband Internet access to educational websites.

“But they will not be allowed to play games, or use the Internet to log on to Facebook or other social networking websites, only those that have information they need to learn,” said Vanessa Tobin, country representative of the United Nation’s Children’s Fund.

“There will be a trained teacher or social worker who will teach them how to access information on the Internet. You don’t give them direct access,” she added.

Unicef on Friday received a generous P1 million donation from Sony Ericsson and Ericsson Telecommunications Inc. Philippines, which Tobin said will be used for the mobile education van project.

The project was conceived in partnership with the two companies, as well as Lingap Pangkabataan Inc. and SM Malls.

Donation bins

Donation bins will also be set up in SM Supermalls for those who want to donate books and other educational materials for the Unicef project.

Tobin said they will be starting out with one van for now to begin rolling in the streets of Quezon City and other nearby cities of Metro Manila.

Each mobile education van, she added, will have easy-to-learn educational materials like simple books and games that street children can easily comprehend.

“We want to help them get off the streets by giving them educational opportunities. When they are not on the streets, the chances of being exposed to trafficking and exploitation will be reduced,” the Unicef official said.

Citing statistics, Tobin said there are at least 250,000 street children in major cities in the Philippines, 50,000 of whom are “highly visible,” meaning they spend most of their days and nights on the streets.

No longer victims

“We should make sure they don’t end up as victims of human trafficking, or being sexually exploited. They don’t have anybody protecting them, and they grow up so fast on the streets,” she added.

Rajendra Pangrekar, Ericsson Philippines country manager, said the partnership with Unicef was a milestone project for their company which wants to give children easy access to books and learning.

“I speak for all our partners when I say that we value this project for what it represents: The opportunity to turn things around and give these children a fighting chance to have a safer, and hopefully more comfortable and productive life,” he said in a statement.

Second time

Dennis Manzano, general manager of Sony Ericsson, said the donation was the second this year for Sony Ericsson.

Early this year, the company raised P1 million in two months for Unicef.

An earlier project, dubbed “Spread the Smiles,” capitalized on the Filipino’s penchant for smiling in photos. Sending a picture of a smiling person meant a P1 donation to Unicef.

“We’re a happy race. With P1 million, we were encouraged to do more as we can really see how people go out of their way to help out,” Manzano said.

Apart from the P1 million donation, Sony Ericsson also launched its anthem for the educational campaign, titled “Let’s Be Happy Mga Kids” and sung by various artists such as Ely Buendia, Gloc 9, etc.

Manzano said the song, which encourages children to do well in school and their studies, can be downloaded at a running exhibit in SM Malls sponsored by Sony Ericsson.

“Passersby can also choose to donate an amount of their choice to help the Unicef project,” he added.

Manzano lamented that some children, some as young as 5 or 6 years old, are forced to drop out of schools because of poverty.

Most of them end up begging on the streets or worse, living in dismal conditions under bridge, abandoned homes or dingy shacks, exposing themselves. Many of them have never even seen the inside of a school, much less, a classroom.