Meet Josephine
FORMER SPONSORED CHILD SPONSORING THE NEXT GENERATION
“When I was young, we were poor,” says Josephine, recalling what it was like to grow up in Bulacan, Philippines.
“My father was only a driver, and my mother was taking care of 10 kids.”
Not having enough money to attend school was a common problem for kids in Josephine’s community. But during their hardest days, school fees were the least of the Sabado’s worries.
“There was a time where we had no food. Nothing to eat. When I was a child, I would have no breakfast. It was very hard.”
When she was seven, Josephine learned that World Vision would be launching a sponsorship program in her community. She didn’t know what sponsorship was, exactly, but she’d heard that the program could help kids like her go to school. Her mother agreed and signed Josephine up. Not long after, she was sponsored by a 60-year-old retired teacher from Australia.
“My favourite was when I received letters from my sponsor,” says Josephine. “She sent me stationary and stickers from Australia, cute pictures of koalas and kangaroos.”
“I think the best impact World Vision had on me was my education. If it wasn’t for my education, I wouldn’t have had the work I do now.”
Today, Josephine is a Senior Associate for the National Power Corporation, based in Quezon City, Philippines. It’s the kind of stable job and working environment she’s hoped for since childhood.
“Life is much better now, compared to before when I was a child,” says Josephine. “I am very happy to own a home. I am able to provide for my children, especially for their education. They don’t have to go through what I’ve been through.”
For their part, Josephine’s sons—John Bryan, 20, and Jose Louis, 10—know that their childhoods look very different to that of their mother’s.
“We’re more privileged,” admits John Bryan, who’s currently studying to become an architect. “We don’t have to do what [my parents] did just to get an education and learn. We have better lives.”
Josephine and her husband, Roberto, 65, have worked hard to teach their sons about the importance of education.
“I want them to finish their studies so that even when we’re no longer around, they can stand on their own,” says Josephine, of her dreams for her sons. “For myself I’m already content. I may not be rich, but I am not poor—I have enough.”
Now, her primary concerns are ensuring John Bryan and J.J. fulfil their own bright futures and that children who aren’t as fortunate receive the support they need.
“I’ve been sponsoring two children for two years,” says Josephine, describing 12-year-old Edsel and 7-year-old Juliana from Cebu, Philippines. “I think I’m so blessed, I want to share my blessings.”
“I wanted to help spread the word that there’s still a lot of people who are in need and in need of good education,” says Josephine. “I want to encourage other people to also sponsor a child, because education has a big impact on a person’s life.”
