PREDA Foundation

- The People's Recovery Empowerment Development Assistance Foundation (PREDA Foundation

or PREDA), is a charitable organization that was founded in Olongapo City, Philippines in 1974.
Its purposes include the promotion and protection of the dignity and the Human Rights of the
Filipino people, especially of women and children. The main focus is to assist the sexually-
exploited and abused children.

BRIEF HISTORY

- Founded in Olongapo City in 1974 by Father Shay Cullen, an Irish member of the Missionary
Society of St. Columban, together with Alex and Merle Hermoso to help those affected by the
social problems of Olongapo City and the surrounding provinces. The Preda Foundation is
licensed and accredited by the Philippine Gov't., operates a therapeutic home for sexually
abused children, takes legal action against child abusers and provides outpatient counselling and
therapy services for drug dependents.

THE PREDA’s MISSION (May 2018)

- The mission is to bring spiritual values with practical help and provide rescue, protection legal
action, education and therapy to abused children and to promote sustainable development and
economic enterprise through Fair Trade for poverty alleviation.

PREDA’S IMMEDIATE MISSION

- Winning freedom and new life for children in jails, in brothels, in hunger, on the street,
abandoned youth, and those mired in poverty. Helping battered women, indigenous people and
protecting the environment and alleviating poverty by fair trade.

PREDA’S VISION

- Preda Vision We envision a just, free, peaceful and prosperous society that serves the common
good, respects human rights, especially the rights of children. A society built on faith, virtue and
spiritual values that overcomes poverty by the fair distribution of wealth, opportunity and
resources.

PREDA PROJECTS

- Some of the projects of Preda are:

 Childhood for Children: Rescues Children and youth from brothels and domestic abuse. Rescues
children from sexual abusive situations in home or in the streets and brothels. It has helped law
enforcement agencies in the detection, arrest and criminal prosecution of those involved in
these crimes.[14]
 Legal Services: free legal services for children that have been accused of crime. They also
provide research and legal assistance in the prosecution of their abusers.
 Rescue Every Child Today (REACT): Responsible for visits to jails and works on the cases of
children in conflict with the Law. The REACT project provides a residential center with
therapeutic activities, trainings, non-formal education and legal assistance.[15]
 Street Child Education Early Kontact and Outreach (SEEKOUT): Helps street children that are in
dire circumstances by providing help through fresh food, clothes, learning and legal assistance.
 Public Education and Preventive Seminars (PEPS): Provides specialized workshops and training
seminars for the prevention of child abuse, drug abuse and the HIV-AIDS by using handouts,
posters, video showing and direct people participation.
 Special Human Rights Education and Lobbying (SHARE): A project directed to the Barangay
communities, college business on child protection and legal procedures in child abuse cases.

PREDA AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS

 Nobel Peace Prize Nomination: On October 3, 2002 Canadian MP Hon. David Kilgour of
Edmonton Southeast nominated Fr. Shay for the Award.
 Nobel Nomination 2003: Christa Nickels, German MP nominated Fr. Shay for the 2003 Nobel
Peace Prize.
 In 2003, Fr. Shay was awarded the first Prix Caritas by Caritas Switzerland. Awarded to Preda in
honor of its initiatives and extraordinary engagement for children in need.
 A film about children's rights campaigner, Fr Shay Cullen has been won the Radharc Award 2004.
Entitled 'Fr Shay Cullen: Taking a Stand' and produced by Annette Kinne Andec Communications,
the documentary was filmed on location in the Philippines, Germany, Britain and Ireland.
 BETINHO PRIZE. Preda was shortlisted for the 2000 Association for Progressive Communications
(APC) Betinho Communications Prize because of their website preda.org and the use of the
internet for human rights campaign.
 On September 13, 2008, FR. Shay Cullen and PREDA was awarded the International Person of
The Year Award in Dublin, Ireland.
 On October 9, 2008, Fr. Shay Cullen was awarded the International Solidarity Prize by the
Prestigious World Medical Child Care Associations.
 Fr. Shay Cullen was honoured with the Humanitarian Award at the 2009 Meteor Ireland Music
 Awards.