Dreams within Grasp: Urban Poor Success Story
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by
Jenicka
“Hindi lang isang tao, hindi lang naman ako ang nabago ng buhay ni Concordia. Nabago rin ni Concordia ang buhay ng pamilyang bubuoin ko at pati ang pamilyang kasama ko.” [Concordia didn’t change one person, They didn’t just change my life. They also changed the life of my family, and the family that I will create.] – Ronalyn Tan
Tough Beginnings
Ronalyn lived a tough life when she was a child. She lived together with her 6 siblings and parents in the slums near the railroads of Sta. Mesa, Manila. Her father worked at a steel mill while her mother worked as a laundress to provide for the family. However, it was still not enough to keep the family afloat. Not even enough to have a stable source of electricity and water in their home, the future seemed bleak for Ronalyn and her family. “Bata pa lang alam namin na mahirap ang buhay. Wala naman kaming kamag-anak na malapitan kasi pati sila, they’re also struggling on their own so kung dadagdag pa kami, hindi na kaya. We’re all making our own ends that time.” [Even as kids, we knew life was hard. We didn’t have relatives whom we can ask for help because they were also struggling, and we would become a burden to them. So we’re all making our own ends that time.] Ronalyn expressed. But they all had a strong passion for learning. All 6 siblings had the value of education drilled into them by their parents. But poverty was somehow their biggest enemy in pursuing their dream. “Since anim kami magkakapatid, bale parang struggle talaga ang pagpasok everyday kasi hindi alam kung saan ka kukuha ng baon o school supplies mo everyday. So it’s just your will talaga kung gusto mong pumasok everyday.” [Since there were 6 of us siblings, it was a struggle to go to school every day because we don’t know where to get our food or school materials. So It’s just really your will that keeps you going to school every day. ]
On top of that, the lack of proper school uniforms and books had been the worst experience for them, sometimes being ashamed or embarrassed by their classmates. To make ends meet, She sold “bibingka” by the railroads and scavenged scraps near construction sites for trade with her siblings and friend in their vacant time. But even so, Ronalyn looked on the bright side and counted her blessings. “During summer, I used to go with my older brother and older friends somewhere near the railroad to get bibingka for us to sell; earning roughly 10 pesos per piece. During election, we are one of those kids’ giving flyers in every barangay and collecting it afterwards to sell to the nearby junkshop.”
Discovering A Purpose
It wasn’t until Ronalyn was in first-year high school that she was able to join the Concordia Family. For her, it was a humbling experience that pushed her to strive more. As she spent time with her other Concordia children and staff, she was able to gather strength and support mentally, physically, and spiritually. She would then often spend her weekends in the Concordia home bonding and learning from new profound friends. “Kids that have different stories but full of hope and dreams. I saw some struggle from theirs and I saw some breakthroughs from it. And from then on, I called them my Saturday group”. She grew close with Ate hazel, the community worker, and became a second mother to her. “She [Ms. Hazel] is my/our second mother because she guided us when she saw our grades becoming low or failing and rewarded us when we are doing good in our school. We even had outings and tours. I am very lucky because I went to the place that I thought I could only dream of going to. It was nostalgic remembering those days.” Ronalyn would eventually found solace in the people she came to think of as her second family, and more importantly, she was able to devote her full attention to her studies without having to worry about paying for them.
”hindi talaga ako makakapagtapos kung aasahan ko lang ang family ko, kaya laking tulong talaga ni Concordia kasi hindi ko na naging problema ung uniform, school supplies, ay pagbayad sa mga booklets in highschool. Kasi prior to that, lagi kong problema yan tuwing papasok ako”. [ I know I wouldn’t graduate if I just relied on my parents. That is why Concordia was a big help because I didn’t have to worry about school uniforms, school supplies, or money to buy booklets from high school. Because prior to that, I always worry about it when going to school.] Being able to focus on her studies soon paid off. She would later become part of the top 5 students from her class and receive the 1st honorable mention in her whole batch. Even other siblings also were able to attend school with the money saved from her expense. “It started with me then became a domino effect”. Ronalyn added. Explaining how being a beneficiary of Concordia helped her siblings’ education. “Because hindi na ako kasama sa isisipin nilang gastusin sa pag-aaral. They can focus all kung ano man kinikita nila, naibibigay nila sa mga kapatid ko. Ung pambaon, imbis ibigay sakin, sa mga kapatid ko nalang ibibigay.” [ Because I was less of a burden to my parents in my educational expenses. They were able to prioritize helping my siblings with their education costs from the money they make.]
Dreams within grasp
Today, Ronalyn is already 27 years old. She is the first of her six siblings to graduate college with a course in Accountancy and is currently a Treasury Manager in SM, one of the mall chain in the Philippines. Building a life of her own, she is now married and is even expecting a baby boy soon. While her family is in a better state than before. Though she believes she has a long way to go, she is empowered to take steps toward a better tomorrow. “Mula sa batang kinupkop ni Concordia before, sobrang layo na ng narating ko dahil sa kanilang tinulong. Kumbaga kung dati ako ang binibigyan nila ng school supplies, ngayon ay makakabigay na ako ng school supply sa aking anak. That help is not only changing a little child’s life but also her entire family and the family that she is going to build.” [From the child Concordia adopted before, I have come a long way because of their help. If they used to give me school supplies, now I can give school supplies to my son. That help is not only changing a little child’s life but also her entire family,and the family that she is going to build.] As Ronalyn moves forward with her career and family, she also shares to Concordia that her sponsors would always be part of her life and her prayers.
”They will always be in my prayers and I am forever thankful to them. I am writing this testimony to show that their help is everything for me. It gives hope for me. A hope that will forever change my life. Thank you and I will always be proud to be a product of Concordia Children`s Services.”
