The survivors in the Love146 safe homes in the Philippines take a monthly trip to the mall to shop, see a movie, and eat in the food court. The last trip, though, had a special twist: a stop at the computer store to buy laptops for two White Home clients! Why?
Jamael, age 20, and Marcos, age 19, need their computers for university this year.
The store was brightly lit, full of digital displays and almost too many computers to choose from. Some of the young children ran around to play with touchscreen phones and tablets. Then all the clients and staff gathered around while the shop employees talked to Jamael and Marcos about the different products. Even Dr. Velazco leaned in to hear.
Marcos has lived in the White Home for over two years, and Jamael, for only four months, but for both of them, holding the laptops in their hands felt like a tangible reminder of how far they’ve come, and a hint at how far they’re going.
Jamael has worked very hard in high school, and he plans to keep that up once he starts college. “Sometimes my studies are challenging, but I always tell myself that I will never ever give up.”
The White Home and the Round Home are full of star students, some of whom may go on to university after they finish grade school. Marcos certainly hopes that seeing two friends reach this momentous milestone will show them they can do anything. “As their older brother, I will try my best to be an inspiration to them.”
It looks like that’s already happening. Keith, 15, has gotten really excited about his own future. “[Marcos] and [Jamael] are lucky because they both have new laptops. I know that someday, when I become a college student, I can have my own laptop too.”
