ROXAS City, Capiz — Each graduate has its own story to tell just like other graduates who struggled in college not just because of difficult in subjects but due to financial constraints.
Let me tell you the story of Ma. Leny Daradar, 24, of Brgy. Liong, Roxas City, Capiz who is now a Registered Social Worker. Despite she faced various difficulties in life while studying in college as a grantee of the Expanded Student Grand in Aid Program for Poverty Reduction (ESGP-PA), she was able to graduate as cum laude.
Ma. Leny is the second child among eight siblings. She came from a poor family. Her mother works as a labandera or washerwoman while her father is a laborer. The family has no fixed income every day.
Luckily, her two eldest brothers got jobs but only receiving minimum wages though it is a big help to support their family needs. Apart from insufficient resources, they are also living in a shanty house that they always get wet every time it rains.
OUTSTANDING STUDENT
In her elementary years, Ma. Leny was a consistent top student since kinder until grade six. She was also an honor student from first to third-year high school. Her perseverance and love for schooling and studying lead her to go to school even she had to walk a kilometer distance without any allowance. After graduating from high school, she had to quit school because her parents couldn’t sustain the expenses in college.
It was so much pain for her since she really wanted to go to college but she understands their situation. Instead, she motivates herself to look for a job so she could save money to prepare for her college. She accepted the offer to work in a grocery store and as a household helper for almost three years.
However, despite all the sacrifices she experienced, she holds with her dreams and still believing that someday, she may be able to continue her studies and get a decent job to support her family so that they could no longer experience extreme poverty.
On November 11, 2011, her family became a household-beneficiary of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), one of the DSWD frontline programs through conditional cash transfer, which aims to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty.
In God’s perfect time, Ma. Lyn was chosen as one of the ESGPPA grantee and able to continue her studies in college. With the moral support, encouragement, and guidance of their City Link, she took up Bachelor of Science in Social Work at Capiz State University Pilar Campus, Pilar, Capiz.
According to Ma. Leny, being an ESGPPA grantee is a blessing for she could go to school without worrying about school fees. The family is very thankful for the program, especially to Ma. Lyn as she repays it with a dedication to her study.
“Even if I fail, and challenges came in my way, I keep on running towards my dream, a huge dream for my family, for myself and for the other people who keep on believing me”, she said.//dswd6/MGC.(Writer: Roselyn Ignacio, CL Roxas City/Capiz POO)