The drive up to Talao Talao Secondary School is as remote as it is far. Long narrow dirt and cobblestone paths cut through tin-roofed huts, street food vendors, and a myriad of people so densely compacted together in the space - driving to the school felt like swimming through syrup.
Students making the trek from their homes in the community weave back and forth along contoured edges of plantains, rice, and maize, over water and under the heat of the Philippine summer sun.
The location of the school feels like you’re entering another world, but when you arrive at the colorful doors of the school and the warm welcome from students, it is well worth the journey.
Talao-Talao Elementary School serves a cluster of communities that are home to about 700 students. It is the only school in the area, serving kindergarten through 12 grade classes. But the truly special part is the faculty who stand before these 700 of students a day incredibly passionate and talented teachers working to improve the lives and futures of kids in this distant corner of the Philippines.
My parents, our charity’s founders, said that “speaking to the students felt like speaking to myself as a student 30 years ago.” They spoke on the reality of getting out of poverty, the difficulties and the hardships, but the undeniable hope there is for every single person in the room.
My parents shared their story. Beginning where these very students are today, taking them through the long and winding path to lead them to where they are now. Through the failures and successes, the highs and lows, the path to where we want to be in life is never as simple or easy as we think it is, but altogether beautiful, complex, and most importantly, possible.
Student’s looked on as Rodeo and Marycel spoke vision for your future being an important first step, but not enough to carry you there. We must picture our lives as part of a grand plan carefully created by God, only then can we persevere in the mundane, in the unexciting or difficult. And working hard will not only pay off in this life, but in the countless generations to come after you.
The life of my sister and I today could only be possible because of the work that my father and mother put into getting to America and starting a life there.
We asked the students what they wanted to do when they finally graduated. The students will enthusiastically tell you that they aspire to become scientists, engineers, doctors, engineers, nurses and social workers. They want to create new technologies, make medicine, and research health. They will tell you they want to travel the world, care for others, and make their families proud. They want to build a better future for themselves, their families, their community, and the generations to come.
The students lined up to get their water bottles and new bags. Despite the heat of the Philippine summer, smiles and laughter filled our outdoor space. The gifts themselves are simple gifts, and serve a use, but in reality they serve as a reminder to the students that they have people halfway across the world who are rooting for them and want to see them reach their goals.
Many times in America we forget that the ability to chase our dreams is a special and rare privilege. Sometimes we forget that those in poverty have all the same grand plans for their lives as anyone else, but are under the weight of generational poverty. Join us in spreading hope to kids around the world.
“We cannot say how thankful we are that you came all this way to meet with us. From myself and the teachers and all the students, we are grateful. May God bless you” - Talao Talao Principal.