ALS SUCCESS STORIES
"I just Want to be a Driver, but ALS Helps Me to Dream More"
I come from Samar, a province in the eastern part of the Philippines, notoriously known for strong typhoons (like Typhoon Yolanda and recently Typhoon Odette), that torment the people throughout the year. At an early age, I saw what poverty really means. Subsistent farming and fishing just gave something to live on for the day.
So, I went to Manila with my uncle, a jeepney driver, to try my luck. I was 11 years old then. The normal day means helping my uncle collect passenger fares on his jeepney plying the Dasmarinas- Baclaran route. On one occasion I accompanied my uncle in Jesus the Nazarene Parish (a parish run by the SVDs) to fulfill his yearly devotion to the Black Nazarene. Beside the parish was Sagip Dunong (Literally means Save Knowledge or perhaps better Save the Mind/Person) ALS learning center.
"Nobody Should be left behind"
I am Charis Frianeza, a 2017-2018 Alternative Learning System passer in one of Arnold Janssen’s ALS Learning center. I come from the island of Polilio in the Quezon Province. This eastern province of the Philippines is directly fronting the Pacific, the reason why poverty is like a twin to anyone born in this typhoon-ravaged province.
I was a single parent of two boys before I enrolled in ALS. I got pregnant in my teens, the reason that I did not finish my studies in High School. For lack of credentials, I could not find a decent job. Hence, in order to make both ends meet, I need to earn a living. I worked as a house-help.