Our Manila Slum Program (MSP) helps alleviate poverty by supporting the schooling of children from vulnerable communities in Manila. One of those girls is Ina* (15).
Ina is one of those Filipino children who are “laking lola” (raised by grandma). Her parents have been separated and have not been consistently supporting her, making her grandmother her main guardian. Despite the grandma’s old age, she has been taking labor jobs to support Ina’s daily needs and schooling. When they learned about MSP, they were immediately thrilled by the potential help it could provide their household. Before joining, staying in school was a constant struggle for the pair because money always determined their actions.
Through the educational allowance provided by the Slum Program, Ina is now able to attend school consistently and am currently in Grade 10. Now that she can attend school consistently, she thrives academically and actively participates in youth meetings. There, she slowly learns about good values and leadership skills.
In one of our youth sessions, Ina shared something vulnerable with us. She mentioned that she feared losing her grandmother as she grows older. She is the only one who shows up for her, and the thought of seeing her get older as time passes by just weighs heavily on her chest. In a way, it also inspires her to do better in school and remain focused on completing her education. She would like to support her in her later years in the same way she supported her—if not, more.
*Name is changed for privacy.
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.
