Your donation will make a tangible difference for the deprived adolescents on the Philippines. Read the true stories from four of them. (All identities have been changed.)
Vincent's parents died 57 and 62 years old. Four brothers and three sisters are married. They have no regular income. Another brother, James, is 21 years old, and not married.
Vincent and James live in wooden material house. They owned the house and they rented the lot. Their source of power is from Veco they pay 800 more or less monthly, and they just buy by pail of water 3.00 pesos per pail. Both of his parents died, most of his siblings live in Mindanao part, only James left here in Cebu and the one who took good care of Vincent. Vincent worked in a factory before to save money for his studies, right after his contract end he enrolled in college but the money he saved did not reach the mid-term exam, until now he wasn’t able to pay the balance. He asked his elder brother James to help him to enroll in vocational course because he already used the money he saved, but because the salary of his kuya is not enough for their basic needs and other payments he refused to help, however Vincent didn’t give up he contacted all his siblings and asked little amount of money from them. He was able to enroll in DBTC by gathering those money he asked.
Jerry's story is an example for a change in family life that can have a sustainable impact.
At only 15 years, Jerry is responsible for his two sisters, 14 and 12 years old, as well as a 1-year-old stepbrother. His dad died from "toxic goiter" when Jerry was 11 years old. His mother left her children for another man. Soon after, she gave birth to Jerry's stepbrother and left him with her other children. In this situation, Jerry somehow managed to attend highschool and earn some money with occasional jobs. An uncle and a grandmother sometimes supported the children with a little bit of rice, but stopped doing so when the Jerry's stepbrother arrived, for lack of relation with this baby.
Jerry's sisters quit school in order to take care of the baby and to make it possible for Jerry to pursue his vocational training. All that the baby takes in is "Milo", a chocolate drink. He refuses everything else. The family's house is a simple one-room hut without running water and without electricity, which the family cannot affort. When asked how Jerry copes with all this and if he was never tempted to deal with illicit drugs or resort to pickpocketting, he responded that it was out of question for him, and that he wanted to be optimistic and positive.
When GGAP e.V. met Jerry and learned about his situation, we immediately supported him with 3,000 Pesos (c. 60 USD) in order for him to be able to buy his little stepbrother agreeable and tasty formula milk. At first, Jerry was worried that his mother might come and take the money away from him, but then he accepted the money. GGAP e.V. arranged for the baby brother to be seen at a charitable pediatric clinic and to be accepted into an inpatient "Feeding Programme". The infant has since been doing much better, and Jerry and his sisters were able to focus on their school and vocational training.
Jerry is now a car mechanic and employed with a company.
The Dante Family is a large family with 13 children. The family has always been struggling financially to make ends meet. Dan dropped out of college because his father cannot support anymore his studies. Since then, Dan he has engaged in different jobs. He used to work as a Scaffolder and a Welder, but since he has no Certification in both skills, he sees no future to his job. He resigned from his job and decided to study in Don Bosco Balamban. On weekends, to support his studies, he would take a part time job as a rice farmer. Dan, during the orientation period, decided to quit because he said he could not pay for his studies. When we told him of the possibility of being a scholar of GGAP, he willingly said he will come back. Dan is recommended as your scholar because of his determination to study. He is used to having a hard life and doing hard labor, and we see him as a hardworking person.
Deborah is one of few women who sign up for vocational training. She lives with her parents, three brothers, two sisters, and two nephews in rural Mati.
Their very old house is made of light materials. Their source of power is from the local electric Company (Doreco) and pay 300 a month. They take water from the common faucet provided by the Barangay for all. Her father’s income in the farm is the sole source of all the basic needs of the seven children and two grandchildren living with them. With their family’s situation, Deborah did not finish her Secondary education the regular way she took up equivalency exam to accelerate her level of education and advance to tertiary. At present, Deborah is very positive and striving very hard to achieve her dream to finish a course even without the financial support of her family. She is now as a working student; she works for a family whom she is living with. She is used to wake up early in the morning to do the household chores and in the afternoon after class.