A Change For The Better
by Pao Antonio

“Life has been hard before. We need to peddle for us to live. Through scavenging for used bottles, old news papers, and card boards, these things will be sold for a couple of pesos for us to survive”. These were the words that came out of Anna Marie (13) and Abigail “Abi” Gerosaga (8) while they were sharing about their lives before being part of the nine (9) housed girls of He Cares Foundation.

Anna and Abi were left under by their mother to their grandmother after their father died. Since then, life has been a series of struggles unimaginable for the privileged.

“We know nothing of what the future holds,” Abi shyly replied, not until a series of boundless grace arrived. A nameless nun would share a food or things they can use for school (by then they were trying to go to school by what they get from scavenging). One day, lo and behold, a noble volunteer from He Cares Foundation, Ate Bing, took them out from the streets of Caloocan and brought them to the center.

“Since then, our lives changed for the better,” Anna said. “Good food is served everyday. “We can now go to school and learn more about our faith,” she added. They are taught by their house mother, Emelda, to be responsible with their house. They now manage their house hold by keeping things in order, including their future…for the better.
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