At a young age, Christian who used to live in poverty had seen the worst. His family dwells in a small house that could not accommodate more than four people. The house, which contain only one room is the family’s bedroom and at the same time their living room. The house is located in one of the most deprived areas in Cebu City. Children in their area are vulnerable, lives are poor, illegal drug problem and many forms of vices are visible. 

However despite the exposure to this distressing situation, Christian dreams to live a comfortable life with his family. That’s why Christian is thankful that he became part of the program as it enable him continue his education and supports him in all aspects. Christian dreams to become a Sailor someday to hopefully travel the world and alleviate his family’s current situation and those people in need.

“I am even thankful for the negative things that have made me stronger and better person”. There’s a person who lives with this quote and she is Meldred, a 14-year girl who is currently residing in a slum area in Barangay Tejero, Cebu City and currently a Grade 9 student of Abellana National School. She is living a simple life, in a simple house, with her simple family. She has a sister and both of her parents are sidewalk vendors but life gets rough sometimes since their income from being a vendor is not stable. There are times when it is not enough to provide their needs especially in school.

Luckily, there was a Street Education program implemented by Rose CGI’s partner, the Children of Cebu Foundation in the port areas. Meldred was able to attend on the said program and it gave her a lot of hope to continue her studies as she is one of those children whose assistance to formal education was sustained by Rose CGI. She said that it was really a big help for them because it lessens her parent’s expenses as well. They don’t have to worry about the yearly school supplies, uniform and payment for school fees. She is beyond grateful for the big opportunity that this program has given her. Education is not a luxury but a basic need in contemporary life, a human right and not a grant.

In the future Meldred wants to be a Chef, build her own restaurant, travel the world together with her family, also to cook the best recipe to her parents who supported her along the way despite the hardships in their lives. With Rose CGI, she will always be motivated and inspired for she knows that nothing is impossible because the word itself says – I’m Possible!

Kathlyn, a 19-year-old girl and a 1st year college student of Southwestern University-PHINMA currently taking up Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management dreams to be a professional hotelier in a five-star hotel or cruise ship in the future.
Kath grew up in the loving arms of her grandparents. Their house is located in one Cebu city’s slum areas. Ever since she was a child she never met her biological father while her mother was living with her stepfather and their own children but later on separated when Kath was around 13 years old. Currently, her mother is unemployed and still needs to support her other step siblings, so her grandparents decided to take care of her despite the difficulty of their livelihood.
Around 2006, she became one of the recipients of Street Education Program implemented inside a Community Watch Outpost in Barangay Caretta, Cebu City. Despite the absence of her true parents she was able to do good in her studies and due to her consistency, the program still supports her until now.
The program implemented by Rose CGI’s partner – The Children of Cebu Foundation Inc. help her with her educational needs and led her closer to her dreams. She said that she is thankful about the program because without it she wouldn’t be able to get into college and start her stepping stone to become a professional hotelier or maybe to be a pastry chef someday.

Jamaica is 17 years old and is a graduating Senior High School Student in Mabolo National High School, Cebu City.  Her family is an informal settler along the Mahiga Creek in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City. Her father died sometime in 2011 and left their mother to take care of her and 8 other siblings.   The place they live were demolished a number of times already but still decided to live in the area as they have no other place to go.  

It was year 2007 that she was able to attend the Street Education Class, a program implemented by Rose CGI’s partner – The Children of Cebu Foundation, Inc. in the area which primarily aimed to prevent children to roam around the streets and provide them functional literacy and values formation.  After a year of attending the street education class, she proceeded to formal education (Grade 1) and since then, she received the continuing support afforded by Rose CGI on her educational needs. She was once one of those kids that were highly vulnerable to the many forms of abuse and exploitation and becoming full time street children.  

She said that, “I am motivated to pursue my ambition in life as Rose CGI’s help provides a flow of direction in my life.  Looking back and my family’s hardship, our future is so uncertain but because of the support, I am almost there to reach my dream.”  Next school year, Jamaica will become a freshman college student and hoped to enrol an Accountancy course.