Every child has a dream.

Since she was a little kid, Ericka Rose Monteclaro has dreamt to be a teacher. Now that she is already in high school, she is closer to her ambition because of her perseverance to put her vision into reality.

Ericka’s admiration to her teachers is making her more determined so that she will become one of them someday.

To prove herself that change is possible, Ericka has been rendering volunteer work as a day care teacher in their barangay in San Pedro Day Care Center in San Jose, Antique during afternoons when she is free, on top of her regular schooling as grade seven in San Pedro National High School.

Ericka recently won in the Search for Exemplary Pantawid Pamilya children in Western Visayas.

She has to walk 1.5 kilometer from her school before reaching the Day Care Center where little children aged three to five years old are waiting for her.

According to her, every time she is in front of these little children, she gets “paid-off” seeing them attentively listening to her every time she does a storytelling session.

Apart from storytelling, Ericka also teaches them lessons on dancing, singing, writing and drawing.

Since the day care center is also having their regular Supplementary Feeding program under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) with the support of their Local Government Unit (LGU), Ericka is helping the parents prepare hot meals and teach the children on how to practice healthyl lifestyle such as eating nutritious food, being clean and doing proper hand washing.

“Teaching these children is an opportunity for me because this is already my stepping stone in reaching my goal to finish college and become a teacher . Aside from this, I want also to advocate to these children the value of education despite of poverty,” she said.

Ericka said she is thankful that Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Proram has helped her and her younger sister for their education and health needs.

Ericka said since their family is covered by the program almost three years alreadt, the cash grants they have been receiving helped them a lot in their school and health needs.

“Education is the weapon to reach our ambition. That is why I don’t waste the time and opportunity for studying. This is also one of the reasons why I want to share my knowledge and talent to these little children. Its just like a simple way of paing forward all the blessings that God gave to us,” she said./dswd6/Montesa Caoyonan