Cindy Degala is a young nursing student we have been helping out. Her mother, Susan, has worked at the baby home since 1992. They are our neighbors and when Cindy was in high school she helped take care of Aubrey. Her younger siblings—April, Joseph and Joshua—are constantly at our house, playing.

We do a lot help our workers, especially ones with large families, to become financially stable. Mainly we try to help them overcome a poverty mentality that tells them there’s no point in planning for the future or making decisions that will improve their situation. When things have gone badly for so long you come to accept it as normal.

One of our programs that I am most proud of is what we call Savings Loans. Deborah and I contract with employees who need loans that they will save a much as they borrow, turning their situation of need into a situation of control.

But sometimes the needs are just overwhelming, especially when you have a large family of school-aged children. The Degala’s are almost always in financial need and Susan is almost always in debt. She’s been saving recently, though, and was able to put Cindy into a nursing school with her own money. I was really proud of her, because it represented a major accomplishment.

But, of course, extra costs have come up now and they’re beginning to feel again like it’s all useless. I couldn’t figure out how to help them handle the new needs with their own funds, so yesterday we just bought a nursing kit that Cindy needs by today. We really can’t afford it, but we couldn’t say no either; education represents the only way out of the cycle of poverty.

If you would consider assisting Cindy in her nursing studies, write to us (afterthales@yahoo.ca) for information on how you can make a contribution. We were able to get the kit we bought yesterday for two-thirds of its retail value through our birthing home connections. It was P2,050 (40USD/45CAN), but she will need P1,000 (20/25) each month for tuition and there will be other costs that will come up. Susan is planning to pay for them out of her salary, but it will be a very heavy burden for the whole family.