Interview met Mary-Grace

Mary Grace is een 18-jarig meisje dat samen met haar familie op tien vierkante meter woont, ergens diep in de sloppenwijken van Tondo (Filipijnen). Ik heb haar geinterviewd voor een promotiefilmpje om meer sponsors te krijgen voor kinderen die te arm zijn om een studie te kunnen betalen. How are you? Yes. I am doing good. Did you wake up early today? I woke up at 6am. Why so early? Because I am studying. What do you study? A bachelor of science accountancy. What do you want to be when you’re grown up? I want to be a CPA and I also want to be a lawyer. You earn more when you are a lawyer. I want to be an inspiration for other children: even though you’re poor, you can still become succesfull. How do you feel as a woman growing up in the slumps of Manila? Its pretty hard, but with the help of the people around me, escpecially my parents, I am able to manage the situation. What kind of support is giving to you from your sponsor? My sponsor is financing my studies. They sponsor me about 2000 pesos a month and I think that is enough for me to buy books and things for my projects. Do you know your sponsor personally? No I don’t, but I do send them Christmas cards every year. With how many people do you live here in this house? With my parents and five siblings. Do you study at home? Yes. But sometimes its hard because it’s dark here. And there are a lot of people living here so it is often very noisy. Sometimes I study at school so I have less distraction. How were you selected to get a sponsor? I had to do an interview and an examination to see if I qualify to earn a sponsorship. You mean if you were smart enough? Yes, I think so haha. How do you want to inspire other children? I want to go back here and sponsor a kid myself. What do you do in the weekend? I have school on Saturday and on Sunday I have to wash my schooluniforms. What do you wish for your family? Our own house. I want to give it to them one day. What do you like to do in your free time? I like to read books. I love the greek mythology. I find those things interesting with the Gods and all the superpowers they have. Why do you like that so much? Sometimes when I read the books I feel like I am one of those creatures. I wish I was a goddess myself haha, so I could make our lives better. How do you think that we can help to make your lives better and solve the problems in Tondo? I think you can help by sponsoring each child here. Sponsorship really can makes a difference for the families who can’t sent their children to school. Later the children who had education can help their families to get out of the slumps and have a better life and their own house. Thank you for the interview.