They too can become great

Do you remember your first love? I do not know if you do but I remember mine. The memories are very vivid. How do I even begin to describe him? I remember the way he held my hand as if there was no letting go, the unparalleled security of being in his arms. The conversations we had still play on in my head to this very day. He was my pillar of strength. The one who never stopped believing in me. He always told me that I can do anything if I believed and worked hard enough.

This is not a love story. This is a story of how a young girl’s life changed because of this man. His friends remember him for his infectious laughter. His colleagues remember him for his brilliance. To me, he is papa. My father. My first love. And he is the reason why I have taken the path to development work.

I had a fortunate childhood. My father gave us everything that we needed and a reasonable level of what we wanted. I never felt at any point that I had less than what I needed. At a young age, he already instilled in me a confidence that I can be whoever I want to be. When I was 9, my dream was to become a singer because I loved music. I sing myself to bed. I sing in the shower. I sing when I am happy. But after revealing that dream in front of my classmates in third grade and hearing giggles in the room, at 10, I decided I wanted to become a scientist. Sounds better, I thought. But when I was 12 years old, my life took a different turn and I was changed forever. That was the moment my future shaped in the form it is today.

It was 1995. My family was on vacation at my father’s hometown in Laguna. One fine morning, my father woke me up and told me we were going somewhere. I got up immediately and joined him in the car. And you know, it was in that short drive that my journey in finding my life’s purpose and meaning began.

In no time, we arrived at our destination. A church. So many questions came into my head. It was not easy for a 12 year old to comprehend what we were there for. My father went down from the car and I suddenly saw newspaper vendors, lottery ticket sellers, and street sweepers flock him. Everyone was beaming as they were taking to papa. He always had an attractive personality, I tell you. Then, in some time, he signaled for me to come to them.

I ran up to him and held him by the hand. I gave him a confused look. “Angel, these are my childhood friends,” he said. “I used to sell newspapers here so I can save money for school. This is the place where I whispered all my dreams to God. So beyond the suits, the big car, the fancy restaurants, the ranks and titles, this is my world. And I am opening its door to you.”

My father’s life is the reason why I am here. He inspires me everyday. Even if he was born in dire circumstances, he catapulted himself to greater heights. From a newspaper boy to occupying a VP post in a multinational company to being recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus in the country’s premier state university, his story is reason enough why we should believe that there can be an end to poverty. I saw in my father’s story that determination can be very powerful. It can transform one’s life.

Every day, from that day on, whenever I look at Mang Ambo the farmer, Ate Silvia the chatty vendor at the sidewalk, or that cute little child on the street named Maria, I see my father. And I believe that one day, with the right opportunities and the power of a dream, they too can become great. For us in development work, to truly make a dent in the lives of the people we work with, we must see beyond their eyes and sink deep into their souls where their aspirations dwell. And be that voice to them, to tell them “your dream can be a reality.” Hold it close. Move and make it happen. “Everything begins with the courage to dream.”

---------- I wrote this when I was in graduate school back in 2011. It continues to inspire me in what I do.