We always believe that our supported girls are more than capable of doing amazing things. That is why when we find girls whose potentials go above and beyond—we cannot help but admire them! Part of our Manila Slum Program (MSP) is to include girls in our events for their education and overall personal improvement. This time, our Manila team was visited by Carly and Ryan (both from Australia) and facilitated team-building activities for our beneficiaries in Ronas Garden and Marytown.
When it was time to do leadership-related activities, one girl stood out: Yann. We saw what a natural leader she is! She shared ideas on how to tackle the challenges in the activity while supporting others’ ideas too. She possessed an admirable balance of consideration and assertion. When asked what’s her dream if resources weren’t a limitation, she shared that she wants to be a lawyer.
Yann is thankful to be part of our Manila Slum Program. From selling and begging in the streets, she can now dream of bigger things, like pursuing a law degree. Although the whole idea of going to college first and then law school after feels impossible for her, we are happy to see her patience in taking tiny steps toward her big goal through education.
The other girls fared well also. You can see how Carly and Ryan truly enjoyed doing their work. We did some debriefing to know what it was like for the girls to be a part of this activity. One of them shared how their communication with each other strengthened their teamwork. Carly also praised them for their quick thinking and strategy.
Like today, these youth are consistently active and participative in our programs and exhibit high potential to foster positive change in their community. We see their eagerness to study in school and their enthusiasm in attending our meetings consistently. Some of them even came right after school from an exam and headed straight to the center to join us!
Finally, the leadership training ended with Carly and Ryan’s inspiring speech on how to keep going and keep choosing school. It’s no surprise that the program was a success, thanks to our ever-attentive participants, hardworking partners in the Philippines, and of course—Carly and Ryan’s enthusiastic approach!
MSP helps alleviate poverty by supporting the schooling of children from vulnerable communities in Manila. Beneficiaries receive monthly financial support, and the program organizes regular meetings and seminars with the parents to ensure that they are part of their children’s education. The seminars cover important topics such as OSAEC (Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children) awareness and online safety. In the future, seminars about good parenting will be conducted, as guided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Parenting Effectiveness Service (PES).
Our Partners
Be a Part of the Solution
We need 10 people or families each willing to donate USD 3,500 | AUD 5,000 per year for 3 years to start in a new community. Help us provide education and support to children and families in Manila’s slum communities.
With your support, we can stop the “slum story” with this generation of children.
