History

ONESIMO has grown out of the experience of SERVANTS MISSION, an NGO whose workers are committed to working and living within the urban poor sector. Having lived with the urban poor, they saw the plight of the young people in those places and were moved to do something about it. Thus, in May 1996, through the pioneering efforts of a Swiss missionary couple (Christian and Christine Schneider) together with Jess Sarol, Noel Gabaldon, and Joshua Palma, all respected leaders in their communities, the ONESIMO FOUNDATION INC. was founded with the ONESIMO Project to give substance to their intentions.

As of November 2007, it has already established eight (8) ONESIMO Training Communities (Tondo, Frisco, Payatas, Letre, F.Carlos, Mendez, and Philcoa 1 & 2 for Girls) run by regular staff and youth trainees. Through these training communities run by committed staff and volunteers, friendship and care are offered to the youth around the clock. By immersing into the community, the staff can demonstrate and model to them an empowered life in Jesus Christ.

Since 1996, ONESIMO’s Leadership Training component has trained more or less eight hundred youth leaders who were instrumental in running fifty-five (55) Youth Camps reaching over five thousand (5,000) of the young people mainly from the squatter communities and the street children.

The ONESIMO Community Training Program, an ongoing youth training program, on the other hand, has already rehabilitated numerous out-of-school youth in Tondo, Frisco, Payatas, Letre, Mendez, and Philcoa. These youths are now actually living without vices and are seeking and experiencing genuine transformation.

The rehabilitated out-of-school youth were also trained in different skills to help them to be self-reliant like Computer literacy, food technology, sewing garments automotive, vulcanizing, car washing, welding, and slipper making. The OFI offered an Alternative Learning System to these youth, so they could continue their education. Some of them went back to their families and enrolled in formal schooling (College) being supported by Onesimo. Many of them are committed to helping out in equipping the next batch of out-of-school youths.

Though much of the action takes place in the Training Community, one other important transformation place is Camp Rock, a campsite in Mindoro where most of the leadership training, workshops, and evangelistic youth camps take place. Thus, apart from developing young people, the project was also able to acquire and develop a campsite.