Blog Post from Pearl Bautista
It is almost universal to feel compassion whenever we hear of remarkable stories about people who persevered and did everything to change the course of their lives no matter how difficult. Whatever background we come from – nationality, race, belief, or faith – we feel touched, moved, and at times in awe of how some people can have so much persistence despite having the odds stacked against them.
Try watching this video from igivetolife.com https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XwWyFNPUAXo
which features some of the most heart-wrenching life stories of Real Life Foundation scholars. Their struggles will help you understand what I mean.
Such scenarios are particularly special to me as I, for one, had a taste of how it was to struggle with the thought of not being able to go to school the next day due to financial issues. Coming from a big family, I have witnessed how my parents worked so hard to try to make ends meet just so they could send me and my four other siblings to school all at the same time. Like the students in the video, our hope to make things better on the financial side lied on getting an education.
Looking back, I can’t imagine what kind of life we would be facing had we not pursued our studies. Apart from my parents’ love and dedication, my only indication of hope that things will be better was the fact that I was still able to go to school everyday and together as a family we are overcoming our situation. It was this experience that made me not hesitate to help those who are struggling with the same situation as I was.
This brings me to four years ago when myself and a bunch of very good friends were given the opportunity to sponsor a student via Real Life Foundation. We started a yearly fundraiser for Melody – our adopted scholar. For three years, we were organizing dance sessions we entitled “I Wanna Dance for Zumbady”, where we sold tickets and donated the proceeds to the scholarship fund for Melody. Year after year, we would be totally awed by people’s generosity to give to the fund. Not to mention, participants had fun dancing and of course meeting new people.
Last year, apart from Zumba, we partnered with Dee Capulan of Souldeelight to provide Calligiving sessions or calligraphy workshops for a cause. It was certainly deelightful (pun intended) to witness a new group of people get involved in this benefit, and at the same time, see them enjoy this wonderful art of hand lettering taught by the ever passionate Dee. And if you must know, it was our best year yet in terms of total funds raised.
This 2016, we are excited to put together two Calligiving sessions to raise funds for the fourth and final year of Melody. It’s weird, but we feel like parents extremely looking forward to sending a daughter to her last year in the university. We couldn’t help but feel amazed at how her once impossible dream of getting a university degree is now becoming a reality.
With this, I humbly invite you to experience the joy of doing something not for yourself but to make someone else’s life better. Your giving is more than sending the scholars to school, or providing them with lunch money; it is an act of love and of shedding hope so that they may face a brighter tomorrow.
thebeautitudes 
Reblogged this on P.S.A. and commented:
Let us help.
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