Education is a human right with immense power to transform. On its foundation rest the cornerstones of freedom, democracy and sustainable human development. – Kofi Annan
Having lived for a long time below the Philippines’ poverty line, I now believe that education is a daily gift. Education is a daily gift given by those who want to make a difference in the lives of others and by those who hope to transform lives.
If not for the kindness of these people, you may not be reading my ideas now and you may not have seen the photographs I passionately try to take.
My college education seemed to be a far-flung dream for me and my parents. Heavens decided to close its doors to my childhood dream of becoming a doctor. However, it opened a window – an academic scholarship for an engineering course.
The generosity of the donors in the Handumanan Science Foundation of the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City made a difference in my life. I was truly grateful for there was no contract involved, no payment to be made after graduation and after I find work. There was however that unspoken honor, privilege and resolve to pay it forward.
I am currently sponsoring a child to school through World Vision. I have been sponsoring him since 2006. He likes to play with his toy car. His family lives near a stream and a mountain and their house is surrounded by trees.
It is always a joy when I receive small notes from him such as these…
For the past three Christmases, I have received one hand-made card and 2 World Vision cards. They have made my Christmases more meaningful…
Sponsoring a child’s education through World Vision is like giving a daily gift. It is the gift of sparing a can of soft drink a day for your sponsored child.
There were times when it becomes really hard to spare those cans of soft drinks, especially if they have been accumulated for three months. But I made a commitment and every time I go out of the bank after making my quarterly deposits, I feel relived, joyful and satisfied knowing that for the coming three months I am again making a difference in a child’s life, a day at a time.
World Vision is a Christian organization dedicated to working with the world’s most vulnerable people – children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. World Vision looks beyond religion, race, ethnicity or gender. Just as Jesus Christ extended love and compassion to all people, especially to children, World Vision aspires to partake and manifest these values to all, especially to those living in poverty or suffering from oppression and injustice.
World Vision Philippines currently has 120, 000 sponsored kids with 23,000 children supported by fellow Filipinos here in the country. There are 8 local communities (Zambales, Isabela, Cebu, Aklan, Misamis Occidental, Cavite, and two at Palawan) in the country that are being supported by World Vision.
For 2009, World Vision aims to send 9,000 more children to school.
If you are willing to make a difference by saving for a can of soft drink a day for one of these children to go to school for them to have a chance for a better future, you can visit their website here. If you have further inquiries, you can also email them at: wv_phil[at]wvi[dot]org
Imagine the possibilities that you might be giving a child now for his future.
Imagine the chain and the linkages of people who will someday pay it forward.
Imagine the bright future of our country when every child truly has the right to education.
If you can imagine it, let’s work together to make it happen. Make education a daily gift.
A can of soft drink a day goes a long, long way…
Teary-eyed ako, Mark, after reading this. Thank you for sharing. I take my hat off to you.
Pareho pala tayo. Ako rin, I wouldn’t have made it to college if not for the help of some people and organizations. Ngayon naman ang ating panahon para tumulong sa iba dahil nabigyan tayo ng chance na makatulong.
hmmm.. alam mo naaaliw ako sa inyong dalawa. salamat at nakilala ko kayo dito. hhahaha. di talaga bagay sa kin ang magpakaseryoso. haha.
kahit na i cant relate re scholarship, nagegets ko naman kayo. lumaki man ako na mejo maluwag financially ang aking pamilya, nag-aral naman ako sa isang state U kaya masasabi ko din na kahit paano nakatulong naman ako sa aking mga magulang dahil less ang cost sa aking pag-aral. at di nila ako sinanay sa luho.
kayong dalawa, ma’am & sir.. keep up the good work!
mamaya na ako magcocomment, hindi ako makapagsalita, naiiyak ako…
wahhhh.. katatapos ko lang umiyak..paiiyakin nanaman ako
nakakatuwa ang post mo..dahil may alaga rin ako sa world vision, isang batang aeta sa Iba, Zambales.
sana nga marami pang tumulong dahil ang lahat ay may karapatang mag-aral…
singhot…hikbi..singa!
nakaka touch naman. i know paulit ulit mong binabasa ang mga sulat nya. world vision pala yung kay lea salonga at nikki gil. bigla rin ako nagka interest dahil nabasa ko na meron dito sa aklan. thanks for sharing the story. keep up the good work!
After reading this post, I feel so fortunate enough to have parents who were able to send me to school. Salamat sa pag-share Kuya Mark.
Wow ang galing naman po nito. Ako rin po mismo ay nakinabang sa medyo maraming scholarship kaya natutuwa ako sa mga taong katulad mo na naglalaan ng panahon at resources sa pagtulong.
Sa ngayon alam kong hindi pa ako makakatulong pero kapag nakapagtrabaho na ulit ako at nakaluwag ng kaunti alam ko na isusukli ko rin sa iba ang lahat ng tulong na natanggap ko.
Salamat po sa mga taong katulad mo. Kung wala kayo siguro di man lang ako makakarating sa kung saan ang inabot ko.
i share your happiness Mark, I do get the same unexplained happiness whenever I receive thank you cards, notes and greetings, from a scholar I also sponsor. Like you, I do believe that education makes a lot of difference.
i have long been wanting to do this.. kaya lang now, i don’t drink soda anymore. hahaha.
kidding aside, tagal ko na gusto ito. kaso lang i was part of HOM and sometimes with GK. kaya no more budget/time left for me.
pero dito naman sa world vision di naman kelangan ng much time dba?
may mga questions lang ako about this, if you won’t mind me asking. kase gusto ko kapag pinasok ko na to yung siguradong-sigurado na ako about the cost kase as of the moment mejo unstable ang aking income dahil hirap mamuhay dito sa syudad. also, mukang nagdedelikado ang aking hanapbuhay. hehehe. ayoko naman kase ng sisimulan ko tapos di ko naman pala kayang ituloy diba.. haaaaaaaayyy… eto lang yung reason kung baket minsan iniisip ko sana mayaman ako. hehe. para na rin sa ibang taong nangangailangan.
awwww… of course. i think i’m blessed naman. hehe. sabi ko nga kay N, i may sometimes see myself as a failure but when i looked at those people who are in need… i realized that my status is way way better than a lot of people.
thank you for inspiring people through your writings. thank you for inspiring me with your stories.
naks.. siryus mode ako ngayon. di yata bagay. hehehe.
hmmmm… i tried filling up a form na online. tapos nung magbabayad na ko via credit card error naman. sad.
kase sana ihook up ko na lang sa card ko para isang bayaran na lang lahat eh kaso baket kaya ganun. huhuhu. wala kase ako time magpunta sa bank para sa deposit ng donation. huhuhuhuhu.
tutal naman di na ko nagsosoda, so yung extra money ko para dito na lang. sad.
sure! sige po. if you don’t mind doing it for me.. game ako jan.
mas okay din para mas personal ang approach. hehehe. 
salamat ng madami!
salamat kaibigan for sharing this post….i do believe that the grace we received from God should not be contained within us….it has to shared and given away…multiply LOVE!
awww natats ako sobra kasi naisip ko kung gaano ako kaswerte na may parents na nagpaaral pero binale wala ko….pero late na ang pagsisisi sabi nga…
good work mark…keep it up!
what a good heart you have Mark. you can rarely find a saint nowadays in the middle of the street…and how lucky i am to meet one in the blogosphere. we need a blogger like you than those who teach how to make a bomb.
your post reminds me of my life too…been struggling to go to school too all my life. i was just fortunate to have scholarships all the way to college.
kudos!
i miss your blog! grabe! i have been that busy bala… anyway, paying forward is really one priceless thing one can do in a lifetime. inang feeling that you are helping the world in your own way is already enough fulfillment especially when you feel you have no worth in this world. siguro that’s the same reason why i just can’t get myself off of supporting cancer patients.
with what you are doing, who knows your kid will be the next NOT corrupt president of this country ina, di bala?
awww. I never thought na you are a sponsor.. ang bait mo naman bro.. kung pwede nga lang me tumulong.. tutulong din ako.. pero marami naman way para makatulong.. I believe sa simple way, we can make a difference…
Hi Mark! I know it’s been awhile. It seems lately all I’ve done is work… Hopefully this summer will give me more time. It’s nice to see you are still devoting your blog and your time to issues of real importance. It is so important that we show Christ-like compassion toward those who need it.
I have started the process of World Vision sponsorship 3 weeks ago thru the help of Leslie. I am looking forward to meet my sponsor child. This is really a great program.
i’m really impressed with world vision’s call to help those students who cant afford to study but im more impressed to every person who sponsored. like you, doing it for 3 years now is something. thanks for supporting and every peso definitely goes a long way.
nice to receive those artworks and letters. it calls you to help more.
Wow, bagong bihis ang bahay, hehehe..
Kakatouched naman ito kapatid.. Godbless!
naku masyado akong touch pareng mark. parang malalaglag ang luha ko. alam mo, ako rin kase nung studyante ako, working student ako. mabuti na lamang at may talent ako sa art. at may mga taong nagtiwala sa akin. pati paggawa ng streamer at pagpiprint ng t-shirt ay napasok ko nun magkaroon lang ng allowance. actually, naisulat ko rin ito sa blog ko.
isinulat ko para magbigay ng inspirasyon sa mga makakabasa at marealized ng mahihirap na bata na pwede naman pala.
saludo ako…sa iyo, at sa ginagawa mo ngayon. sana ay pagpalain ka para mas marami ka pang matulungan. Godbless you.
Thank you for sharing this…
Dami ako alam na ganitong stories since lumaki ako sa kamangyanan…
hehe
Lets adventure!
Kudos to you Mark! Thanks for sharing the experience kasi in a way you are helping us to know how it feels to have a sponsor. ^_^ Hoping that I can follow your good deeds. ^_^
thank you for a very inspiring entry, mark.
jinoe and quennie also sponsor a child from WV and they share stories regarding their sponsored child. i accompanied them once when they sent a package for the child and they even showed me a letter sent to them by the child.
though i wasn’t involved, i could feel the happiness for such an unselfish act including the happiness of sharing the education to a least fortunate child.
Bagong gupit kapatid….I have read this entry 2 weeks ago it most likely and subconsciously influenced me to write about Eat Bulaga and the 30 scholarships they handed to poor, achieving students. More power to you Mark…
Very inspiring ang entry na ‘to..saludo ako sayo dude..inspired me a lot..
Salamat Tsi…
Pwede ka na sigurong magsave para sa isang can ng softdrink? Hehehe… Another blogger friend actually followed suit…
http://awefullworld.com/?p=2737
Sana mas madagdagan pa ang mga batang makakapag-aral…
Hi, ngayon ko lang nabasa nang buo yung entry. Awesome. Very inspiring. I’ve been working for almost two years already. Siguro pag nakalipat na ako ng trabaho at medyo umayos na ang kita ko, ipaprioritize ko yan. Basta. Isasama ko na sa to-do-list ko yan. =)
Salamat salamat.