Let us show you around our Home!

This is our Home, the Casa Cittadini - Home for Girls at

Jawa, Valencia, Negros Oriental

Dining Hall

Our kitchen (with Sr. Celina and Manang Marina)

Sr. Maria Fe (preparing our dinner of vegetable soup

with nutritious malunggay leaves) 

Study Hall

Our Chapel

Our dormitories

Our dormitories

Laundry Room

Our School

Elsie's Christening Day

Elsie (2nd from left) was Christened today, July 4, 2010.  She had the Ursuline Sisters

as her special guests.  Not in the pictures are Ms. Anne Ferraren (of Ms. Anne's Foodhouse)

and her friends who provided everyone with a delicious lunch.

Sister Molly, Superior of the Ursuline Sisters of Dumaguete

Sister Marissa, Principal of Catherina Cittadini (St. Louis) School

Elsie with Sr. Molly

Elsie with Sr. Arlene

Elsie with Sr. Sherry

Noelle Uy, Elsie, and Sr. Vericia

Sr. Merlinda's ....... hand

VOX ORPHANORUM - The Children's Choir of Negros Oriental

Did we mention that we are quite famous here in our province? 
We belong to the Vox Orphanorum or the Voice of the Orphans. 
Our choir is also known as the Children's Choir of Negros Oriental. 
With us below is our Choir Director, Jeremias Perez.

We have been singing since we were very young and have performed before some of

the most important people in our province and our country. 

 A few years ago, we sang before the

PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES!

There are also boys in our choir.  They are from Casa Miani - Arvedi (Home of Boys) which

is run by the Somascan Fathers.

With us in the picture above is our newly-elected Governor, Hon. Agustin C. Perdices. 

His predecessor, the late Governor Emilio Macias, was our benefactor and

the one who adopted our group as the Children's Choir of Negros Oriental. He gave us 

his support and made it possible for us to be the singing group that we are now.

Mirafe, Maria Fe, Amelia

With us in this picture is Congressman George Arnaiz

Our mentor, Prof. Jeremias Perez

Melrita, Amelia, Analyn (Back)

Sherlita, Dawn Marie, Rochelle, and Mirafe (Forefront)

Looking all pretty and dolled up in our new dresses

Eunice, Judalyn, Manilyn, Rochelle, Amalia

With Casa Miani boys and Brother Ambet

Jonaldalyn and Khristine

With Ate Luna and Sister Celina

With Vice-Governor Roel Degamo

Dawn Marie, Melrita, Rochelle, Amelia, Mirafe, Analyn

Maybelle, Marjanette, Jonaldalyn, Maria Fe

Judalyn and Eunice

Anna Rose, Amalia, and Manilyn

Kristine

Marjanette, Jonaldalyn, and Maria Fe

Eunice, Judalyn, Manilyn, Rochelle

An Afternoon at the Mall!

Enjoying Jollibee's Chicken Joy and Spaghetti!

At the movies to watch Toy Story 3

Our little ones having a blast at World of Fun (WOF)

Malling at Robinsons Place, Dumaguete City

Australian Business Volunteer Dr. Keith Carpenter

We recently had ABV Dr. Keith Carpenter as a guest in our Home.  He came through the auspices of the Oriental Negros Children's Advocacy Network (ONCAN) to help non-governmental organizations like us search for donors from overseas.

With him are Sister Celina, Luna Ferrari, and Sister Maria Fe.

Welcome to the Family Elsie!

This is Elsie Matondo. She is six years old.  She is the newest member to join our family here at Casa Cittadini.  You may see her now looking happy and delighting us with her sweet smiles showing all the joy and happiness within her, but Elsie's life had not always been like this.  She opened her eyes to a life that was filled with nothing but harship.

She was born in Manila and has two brothers and a baby sister.  Her mother abandoned them and left them in the care of their father.  It was said that the father had sold their baby sister to a childless couple inorder to have money to buy ship tickets for Negros Oriental.

The family came to Malabo, Valencia, Negros Oriental.  There, they were taken in by relatives and given a place to stay.  Elsie's father worked as a farmer and abaca pulp gatherer to support the family, however, the distance of the farm from their home meant that he had to leave the children to their own devices, often for an entire week.

The children were looked after by kindly neighbors.  But they could not be given full care and attention as the neighbors also had their own families and children to attend to. 

Life had been hard for Elsie.  They often had to go hungry.  She had not been to school.   At her tender age, she learned to cook and look after her little brother.  They often went on for days wearing the same unwashed clothes and with their father away from them, they slept in their filthy shanty totally unprotected and unaccompanied by an adult.

But all that is behind Elsie now.  We are happy that she is now living a better life, eating three full nutritious meals a day, has her very own, clean bed to sleep in, and she now goes to school too!

Elsie and some of our other girls in their Sunday best

 Home at last!

Casa Cittadini Foundation Meeting

Clockwise from left: Sr. Molly, Sr. Marissa, Abby Uy, Sr. Sherry (covered), Mrs. Amasula (c0vered), Sr. Celina, Lourdes Taburaza, Sr. Maria Fe (covered), Charles Co, Lalaine Co

Some members of the Casa Cittadini Foundation, Inc. (CCFI) in its June 27, 2010 meeting to discuss various concerns such as the admission of a new child (Elsie Matondo) into the Home and to keep the members updated with the most recents events involving the girls. Part of the agenda is the Financial Report which keeps the members abreast with the Foundation's financial status.