Life Story WANING
by: JUANA
Life is not easy. This is how Waning perceive the world to be, and she is right; it is the reality. With her naivety, she is enlightened with the glimpse of an imperfect world. She knew that she has lot of work to survive and outlast the challenges ahead. But this brutal truth does not dishearten her. Instead, she strives harder even the midst of uncertainty for she has a dream to fulfill, and she is holding on to it.
Waning grew in a slum area in Cebu City. She was the eldest of their family, and they were one of the impoverished families in the city. Her parents were food vendors in the market and the money that they incurred during the day was not enough for them. They did not even have a nice place to sleep: when it rains, the water kept coming in dropping from the ceiling. The whole night they were drench and cold. They also did not have tasty food in front of them even during special occasions.
One day, the authorities pull down the area where they live in, and a lot of families were left homeless including Waning's, and in that time, they did not know where to go. Fortunately, their relative allowed them to stay with them. But few months later, her parents decided to go back to that dreadful place and started a new life with a newly constructed house-like structure, which is so small and so feeble. Waning is an industrious kind of girl. When she was in state of consciousness about their status, she started to help her parents in selling food in the market and also went to school. She believed that education is the key towards a better future not only for her but also for her family. Waning knew that going to school is not a good idea at all since her parents could not support her. But she was determined to study and learn like other children. She did not give up and use her ingenuity to support herself. She sold goods like junk foods, candies, and alike inside their classroom or volunteered to be an assistant to the guidance counselor during summer in order for her to earn money. Waning gave her best foot forward in her class and did a well-done performance. She was always a consistent achiever. She was inspired with her parents that even though they did not support her financially; they were very enthusiastic about her achievements and gave her emotional support all the way until she graduated with honors in high school. She was grateful about what she attained:
"My achievements are the fruits of my hard-work and perseverance, and I deserve it."
Now, Waning is in her final stage of learning, college, where she will continue her quest for excellence. She is a second year in the field of Psychology in one of the best universities of the region with the help of Kff Foundation. She is thankful to be one of the scholars to be given continuous financial support until her graduation; an opportunity she never dreamed of. With this, in a matter of two years, her dream, which is to help her family, will definitely come true.
