INA-INAKAY
mothers and children; directed
ABOUT INA-INAKAY CENTER, INC.
Mission Statement.
Tim & Cleo Undheim
Founders
Dheng Silan
Program Supervisor
Cris Ann Astoveza
Administration Supervisor
Ina-Inakay (pronounced eena-eena-kai) translates from the Filipino language as a noun, meaning "mother and fledglings" but also as a verb meaning "being directed"; Inakay for short. The name itself divulges the mission of the company.
The mission of Inakay is to facilitate the reintegration of female prison inmates and their children into society through the formation of Christian values, family connections, child education, and equipment of families and communities with the means necessary for self-sustainability.
The vision is to transform family units in the Philippines that have been negatively affected by the incarceration of their mothers. The Company also seeks to lead in the prevention of the disintegration of the families that have been impaired by their existence in risky social and economic environments.
The objective of Inakay is to undertake certain activities with a holistic approach that will facilitate the re-integration of female inmates and their children to society. More specifically, the organization strives to conduct programs towards sustainable and quality life for the inmates, their children, their kin, the communities where they live, and communities at risk. It shall also provide tools to its beneficiaries that will help achieve set goals such as education and livelihood initiatives, establish a network with various entities that will assist the beneficiaries in becoming self-sufficient, advocate the reintegration of released female inmates in their communities, and provide temporary shelter until said beneficiaries are ready to integrate with society.
History.
With a passion for the fair and equal treatment of women, the history of Inakay began when the founder, Cleo Undheim, was asked to speak at the Correctional Institution for Women in Metro Manila. She discovered the severe lack of programming for women who are recently released back into society with the tarnished record of imprisonment. After much research and planning, and the prayers from friends and family, Cleo resigned from teaching at Manila Bible Institute and began the long and tedious burden of projecting and providing a post-prison oriented project to fill the gap. Inakay was registered on May 11, 2006 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and on July 18, 2008 with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the Philippines. Today, Inakay has reached out to more than 2,000 people in need, which includes women and their families that are living in impoverished conditions.
Growth.
Ina-Inakay has developed the company to incorporate many different programs and benefits to help the impoverished of the metro Manila area and around the country. They are focusing on instilling Christian values into Christians and non-Christians alike, reforming the mindset of children towards the yearning for education, giving women the dignity of training and ownership in micro businesses or production practices, and supplying the children in their care with an outlet for expression, growth and development outside of their negative living conditions. Below is a better description of the individual programs designed and implemented by Inakay to spur on their mission of integrating women back into society and bringing them and their families out of poverty and into a life of positive contribution to society.