Former scavenger and now UP freshman Francis Nicole Maga shares how she triumphed over life’s challenges

The slums are feared for its dark reputation as the nesting grounds for criminals and gangs, a hostile environment even for its inhabitants, and a chaotic place driven by poverty and neglect which mirrors society’s decaying flaws.

But from this urban jungle comes the story of a girl who at a young age experienced the harsh realities of life but didn’t let it stop her from achieving her dreams.

Francis Nicole Maga, University of the Philippines (UP) Manila freshman and scholar of SCG Sharing the Dream, shared that the thought of going to college used to be just a dream especially when she was still a grubby little girl scavenging for anything worth selling to the junk shop just to have something to eat.

“I grew up in the slums of Malabon, a neighborhood surrounded by garbage and frequently visited by floods. Life was really tough there – my family ate dried fish for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sometimes we had no option but to be content with rice with soy sauce or the one-peso chichirya you buy in the sari-sari store. In the slums, the rule is if you won’t do anything, you’ll starve,” the 16-year-old Maga said.

Her father’s income as a construction worker was not enough to sustain a family with four children. In order to feed them, her mother would borrow money from lending groups, even though paying it back would be another burden. One afternoon, after a day on the streets looking for money, Maga saw people taking out things from their home as collateral for her mother’s unsettled debts.

“I felt very small – helpless. I couldn’t understand why people were taking away even the few things that we can call our own. But instead of letting myself down with the situation, I used it as a motivation to strive harder and hope that someday, our lives will be better,” she recalled.

MAKING ENDS MEET

To support her education, Maga would sell pens, bracelets or snacks such as pastillas and polvoron to her classmates. Drawn to her friendly nature and perseverance, more schoolmates and even the faculty patronized her “mobile store.”

“I started selling things at school when I was an elementary pupil. Because I grew up in poverty, I told myself that I will really study hard because I want our lives to be better. I still remember my first day of school when my mother told me, ‘Anak, mag-aral kang mabuti kasi ‘yan lang ang mapapamana namin sa ‘yo.’ (‘Child, study hard because education is the only thing that we can give you.’) That became my motivation to study really well because this is for them and for me to have a good future,” Maga said.

Because her business went well, she added other items like peanuts, turon, lumpia, and peanut butter that her mother prepares.

“Most of my schoolmates thought that I am a very, very hard working student because of the bulk in my bag that they mistake for books, but in fact, those are the merchandise I bring every day,” she added.

OUTSTANDING STUDENT

While she was busy with her business, Maga made sure to put her education first above everything else. She was a consistent first honor student throughout elementary and graduated valedictorian.

Her excellent academic performance has enabled her to be chosen as a beneficiary of “SCG Sharing the Dream” in Upper Bicutan National High School.

Now on its eighth year, the SCG Sharing the Dream is a scholarship program that provides educational assistance in all of SCG’s areas of operations. It is for students who have adequate academic performance, good behavior and motivation to pursue higher education. The scholarship includes meal and transportation allowances, provision for school project and miscellaneous expenses, as well as other school fees, books, school supplies, and uniform. Besides the educational aid, “SCG Sharing the Dream” also gives academic consultations and workshops to students in addition to values enhancement activities to further cultivate knowledge and social responsibility among its beneficiaries.

The scholarship assistance helped Maga to continue excelling in high school and graduate as batch valedictorian once more.

In August 2015, the girl from the slums started her journey to become a missionary by taking a Behavioral Science degree at the University of the Philippines- Manila, her dream school.

“I am taking this course because I want to understand people more. Meeting people from all walks of life is what I like and I want to empower people because I have a compassionate heart,” she shared.

GIVING BACK

Maga knows that college is a different world and the next four years will not be easy but with big dreams and the determination to boot, she is confident that the future will be brighter for her family.

Moreover, she is out to prove that a girl who was brought up from poverty can also make a difference in other people’s lives.

“I was once one of those dirty children roaming the streets to find a living. I am a product of feeding programs, always in the line when people give out relief goods. One time when I was waiting for a pack of groceries, wearing rags, I found myself wanting to be the one to give things away. I want to have scholars of my own because I grew up being a scholar. My scholars will be those children from the streets – because I know what it’s like, I experienced it myself. My dream is to put up a foundation someday,” Maga said.

Jayson Mangalus is a Communications Officer of Philippine Business for Social Progress – Corporate Affairs Unit. Upon finishing Bachelor in Journalism from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, he worked as a reporter at the Manila Bulletin’s youth section.

This article was also published at:
http://www.mb.com.ph/life-lessons-from-a-former-scavenger-now-up-scholar/
http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/98377-slums-university-pbsp-scg-scholar