FOR years, this man has wandered in the streets without a permanent home to call his own. However, it was his persistence that carried him through.

From a street dweller, Russel Gambalan Parreno, now 29 years of age, has turned into a social worker who serves street children and street families these days.

“My heart goes out for them because I know just how it is to live in the streets and yearn for a permanent home,” he said.

Russel is a licensed social worker now assigned at the DSWD Field Office VI Social Technology Section.

He recalls staying in the streets, had to stay from one relative to another to survive, gather and sell scrap to survive. There were times when the pang of hunger pushed him to take things belonging to others.

According to him, he went to different schools from Iloilo City to Guimaras Province.

“While I was in Elementary School, I had to go gathering and selling scrap materials as well as engage in farming to survive,” he said.

In high school, he remembers joining gangs of experienced thieves.

Russel says that he is grateful to his relative who gave him roof to stay. “I am thankful to them for taking me in.”

BREAKTHROUGH

According to Russel, he believes that an individual gets breakthroughs in his lifetime. One of these, he says, was when he reached third year in high school.

He was influenced by members of the Christ Centered Fellowship, a Non-Government Organization which is faith-based.

Then came the following year, when, fate led him to knowing his biological father. “I felt numb because I have been used to living independently. As time passed by, I came to accept him and the circumstance.”

He stopped schooling for three years after High School. During the time, he worked as a trisikad driver and then a caregiver to an elderly.

After that, fate continued to smile as he grabbed opportunities for schooling with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority with a course of English Language Proficiency.

“I believe God sees His people and he takes care of the homeless. He is compassionate and loving. I will always be grateful to him,” he says.

MORE OPPORTUNIES KNOCK

After Russel’s training course with TESDA, he worked in a local bank as a Utility Personnel.

“There were co-workers there who motivated me to dream. They encouraged me to go schooling. I saved some P2,000 for college,” he said.

He also dabbled as a crew helping in photocopying of documents in a nearby establishment at P100 per day.

“I was already excited to get into college and study that time.”

According to him, at that time, he already was thankful with the turn around of things and how he was taken care of by Christ Centered Fellowship.

“With gratefulness in my heart, I also extended volunteer service as a teacher on Values Formation through Storytelling to 30 kids during weekends,” he revealed.

COLLEGE DAYS

Russel went to the Central Philippine University to enroll with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Social Work.

“I was so excited to enroll that I did not even ask as to the amount of tuition for the course,” he said.

While in the first days in school, he learned about opportunities for working students. He immediately applied and got hired. He was assigned in cleaning the campus grounds.

“In college, I recall the guards checking my bag because it always was bulging. One time, they learned that it has all my gathered scrap materials. Then, out of kindness I guess, the guards were already helping me gather scrap,” he said.

“The world has many gentle souls after all,” he added.

SOCIAL WORKER

He hurdled the Social Work course for four years and graduated in October 2014.

He passed the Licensure examination for Social Workers the following year.

“I want the other street kids to learn a lesson from my experience. I encourage them to dream and never give up. There are many opportunities as long as you have the willingness and perseverance. Never lose hope even at the worst-doomed time of life,” he said.

Addressing his message to NGOs and Local Social Welfare and Development Offices handling street children, he said, “Please do not give up on street children. If you give up, you might be the only hope that they cling on to. Had the CCF gave up on me, I will not be a social worker now.”

“For the parents, I hope that you believe in the limitless capacities and potentials of your children to have a better future and to be the source of hope for the generation after them. With that, I hope that you become best examples.”

For Russel, life might have taken a longer route, all with twists and turns, with all strife, but he got back up, survived, succeeded and became the advocate of change for the homeless families and their children.

“With everything, I am thankful to God and will always pass forward my blessings to others and never get tired of painting smiles in their faces. Life goes on with gratitude.”/dswd6