Lara Villanes is a third year high school student and lives in Phase P Francisco Homes, in the rolling hills of San Jose Del Monte City Bulacan. Her school is located quite far and she has to walk a kilometer every day to and from their house.
From a poor family, she is the oldest among two siblings. Adora, her mother, works as an English tutor to Koreans thus it makes sense why she is one of the editors in their school paper.
To do her editorial works for the school paper she would come to an internet café near their house and has to pay PhP 20 for every hour that she uses the computer and even pays extra P5 pesos to print a page.
Lara’s Wish
Lara’s classroom is located in the far north east corner of the school, and in order to reach the place she has to pass by the school’s computer room. Most of the time she would pause and peek on the glass window by the door and silently whispers her wish.
Girls in San Jose Del Monte high school do homemaking and cooking while only boys were allowed to use the computers.
Big news at school
One day, she noticed a car parked in front of the school’s office and saw a person wearing barong talking to the principal. By the look of the conversation the principal looked happy by the wide smile on her face, while led the person to the old computer room. She later found out that the person represents the iSchools Project and is considering their school as a recipient.
The principal announced one day in the flag ceremony about the new development in the school – a computer lab package is soon to be set up in the computer lab and that boys and girls can now use the computers. Lara never shouted “yehey” but she said “tears fell on my cheek as I knew my wish has been granted,” as she recalled that event.
Mother works for the iSchools project
About a month prior to that, her mother had to change work and has to frequent the province of Nueva Ecija. A long time acquaintance had offered her mother a job which requires her to be out of their home during weekdays. She had no time except weekends to tell her mother that she was being considered to be a student participant in a training where the school was engaged in.
When she had that chance to tell her mother, her mother simply laughs and said “Yes, I know for I saw your name in the list.” Lara was confused and surprised of what she heard, asked her mother how she ever knew that. Her mother with a wide smile on her face told her that she know because she works with the iSchools project and that the person she was describing was actually her mother’s supervisor.
The rest was history, Lara has been inspired by the development that she can‘t wait to be in the training. She would be travelling to Central Luzon State University in Munoz, Nueva Ecija to attend the Web Development Training.
This is part of the iSchools Project Capability Training Packages for the recipient Public High Schools under the iSchools Project.
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