Jay Christian’s Story

“I never regret a day in my life. Good days gave me happiness and bad days gave me experience” He is Jay Christian Barquio, a 16 year-old and a Grade 11 student of Don Sergio Osmeña Senior Memorial National High School. He is living together with his family at the slums of Barangay Labangon, Cebu City. They are just renting a house and don’t even have their own comfort room. The family really needs to save up extra money to pay for the rental but sometimes it’s hard for his parents to pay the whole amount since his father is the only one who earn an income as a taxi driver. His mother is a housewife and he has two little brothers. But when he was able to attend the Street Education program in year 2008 implemented by Rose CGI’s partner – the Children of Cebu Foundation in A. Lopez St., Cebu City, they were beyond thankful to the people behind the program. His educational needs were provided by the organization since street education days and continued until now that he is in senior high school level. He said that their lives ease a bit since his educational is being provided by ROSE CGI. His father’s income is allotted to pay the monthly house rental and other family needs as his educational needs are already taken cared-off. In the near future, he wanted to become a Graphic Artist. Aside that he loves to draw, he also wants to let his drawings come to life. “Being a successful Graphic Artist will lead my family to a better life. If you can dream it, you can do it!”, he said.