Caba, PH – Waves Scholar looks to the future– 31 Jan 2015

GA is a Waves of Love Assistance Fund education scholar.  The scholarship has helped very much, because before GA was awarded it her family struggled to send the children to school. Her mother and father’s income barely covered the family’s basic needs, and the family of five survived on what her mother was able to bring home. Her mother was the primary breadwinner working as a manicurist, while her father worked on and off as a temporary janitor.

Mother and father have three daughters, aged between seven and fourteen. Sadly, the family’s economic struggles caused them to have to give their middle daughter up for adoption. Very fortunately, relatives adopted her so GA’s family are able to see her whenever they can.

GA and her youngest sister

GA is their eldest daughter, she is a very bright student but she missed a lot of school days because her parents could not afford to pay for her projects and school supplies. Her teachers understood her challenges and recommended her for an education scholarship when Waves of Love Assistance Fund was offering them to local bright but impoverished children.

GA became a full Waves of Love scholar in 2010 when she was in 5^th grade. She shined as a student and has remained in the program due to her outstanding grades and her dedication to attending school. Her attendance has been excellent ever since she became a scholar. GA is also one of the first young people to volunteer at the Buleng’s Fusion Café when it opened. This training café also received funding from Waves of Love and is a place for scholars to get together so they can use its free WIFI to work on their school projects. The café offers free training to volunteers, and through this program, GA learned to prepare meals and provide catering services.

Because of the scholarship, GA has been able to continue through high school and is now getting close to graduation. Her family is now able to sustain itself from the parents’ income because they entered the Food Always In The Home (FAITH) garden program. The family is able to reduce their food expenses by growing their own tasty organically grown vegetables. They also sell their surplus vegetables to the local market. They have been successful at growing okra, eggplant and string beans. Father is now able to provide income as he is the main person who takes care of their garden.

Ever since GA started volunteering for Buleng’s Fusion Café, she has felt like she has found her calling. She enjoys volunteering at the café as soon as she finishes high school each day. She would like to pursue a career in the culinary arts or in hotel and restaurant management. As soon as she graduates, she wants to start a career and help her parents save money, because they currently only have enough money to take care of their daily expenses.

The family’s monthly income of approximately PHP 2,000 ( US$45 ) still needs to grow so that they can repair their home’s leaky roof. More importantly, they are saddened by the fact that they still do not have their middle child living with them. They would like to take her back home with them and be able to afford to send her to school.

In order to grow their income, the family would like to expand their garden by planting additional varieties of fruit and vegetables that are in high demand. The father has become very adept at planting and harvesting crops and has shared his knowledge with the rest of the family. Together as a family, they are working hand in hand to secure a better future.