An Afternoon I Will Always Remember

One of the staff from Virlanie invited me and my friends to attend a seminar in their office on a Saturday afternoon. She said it’s a great seminar for us, something that could help us find a job. Then I thought, this could be like any other seminars that I attended in either my school or in Virlanie. The staff told us that it is a seminar where we are given the opportunity to actually learn how to actually get work or land a job. At first, I was doubtful that it is what the seminar will teach us, but I decided to attend as I don’t like to pass up this kind of opportunity as I have a feeling it will be good for me.

And so as I went through the door and inside the room where the seminar was held, I was nervous as I did not know what will happen in there. But when Ate Linh and her friends welcomed me and the other kids one by one, I greeted them back with the same warmth. Then Ate Linh talked to me and asked if I can speak English, I told her “just a little bit”, and then she smiled.

Ate Wendy opened the program and I felt the emotion and sincerity in her words. She shared about the difficult times she had finding work and she made me feel what she felt during those difficult times. Ate Linh shared her story too. I was inspired and felt bad about her experiences as well. I felt sad especially when she shared that part of her life when her parents did not believe in her when she got all these big dreams for herself as a young girl, putting her down instead of supporting her as most parents do. But Ate Linh did not give up. She worked harder to prove her parents wrong. And now, she is successful in her business, and that’s why I am inspired by her own stories and experiences. I also listened to the stories Ate Linh’s friends in the seminar. The members of the Red and Black Solutions have their own stories and difficult experiences in life too.

When I heard about their stories, I learned that I should not give up whenever challenges in life come. I learned that I can stand alone and without anybody to depend on for my success. I learned how important it is to have goals and achieve goals in life. I learned that in life, you don’t need other people to be successful especially when these people bring you down and think negatively about your dreams. Instead of feeling bad about people who make you feel hopeless, be motivated to prove them all wrong and that will give you the strength and support you need to achieve all your dreams.

I was very happy I spent the afternoon getting to know Ate Linh and her group. We had so much fun using the free art materials they gave us and sharing the big cake they brought for our snacks. They also asked some of the kids to sing for the group, coaching them to be daring at showing people their talent and to not let other people tell them they are no good. I will cherish the experience I had with Ate Linh and the Red and Black Solutions group—it’s definitely a worthwhile afternoon for all of us.

We met a vibrant young girl in one of our visits in Virlanie Foundation last year. Lorraine was an avid journal writer and was so eager to learn about turning her passion for personal writing into an actual career. We worked with her on her early compositions and she has shown rapid progress, turning personal writing into a copy that is worthy of being published. Today, Lorraine is studying Film Production at University of Makati, Philippines.

Credits from: https://www.facebook.com/raine.catina