A Story of a Hungry Minds Parent
Words of Gratitude: An Excerpt from Nanay Dionido’s Speech at the 2019 Hungry Minds Graduation Ceremony.
ORIGINAL:
“Talagang ipinagmamalaki ko sa community na ang anak ko ay taga Hungry Minds, dahil kilala ang Hungry Minds na nakakapagpatapos ng magagaling na mag-aaral.
Kasabay ng pagpasok ng aming mga anak sa Hungry Minds ay simula ding nabuo ang aming magagandang pangarap para sa kanila. Lubos ang aking pasasalamat noong nalaman ko ang mga benepisyong matatanggap ng mga mag aaral na ito. Bukod sa dekalidad na edukasyon, meron pa silang libreng uniporme, libro, school bus na talagang ipinagmamayabang ko lagi dahil isa ang anak ko sa mga batang nakasakay sa school bus na ito, school supplies at pagkain. Naalala ko noong mga bata pa kami, napakahirap ng buhay. Ang kanin na nakahain sa lamesa ay kasyang kasya para sa aming magkakapatid. Bawal ka ng mag extra rice dahil sapat lang ang nakahain. Pero dito bukod sa libre at masustansiya na ang pagkain, may extra rice pa.
Dahil sa Hungry Minds, mas lalo kaming nagsipag upang matulungan naming mabuo ang mga pangarap ng aming mga anak. Sa Hungry Minds nabusog ang aming mga anak hindi lang pagkain kundi pati sapat na kaalaman at pangaral na babaunin nila paglabas dito sa paaralan. Alam kong naihanda ng Hungry Minds ang ating mga anak. Umunlad ang kanilang kaalamn, natuto silang makipagkapwa, nagkaroon sila ng lakas ng loob na humarap sa mag bisita at nakarating sila sa mga establishments na kahit ako ay hindi ko napuntahan gaya ng Manila Peninsula, Century Park Hotel, KidZania, at Mind Museum.
Ang graduation ay isang pagtatapos at isa ring pagsisimula. Highschool na ang ating mga anak sa susunod na pasukan. Sana ay magtuloy-tuloy pa ang kanilang pagkatuto sa highschool hanggang kolehiyo at maabot nila ang kanilang mga pangarap para sa kanilang sarili.”
Translation:
“I always take pride in sharing with our community that my son is part of Hungry Minds, as it is known for producing excellent graduates. As our children joined Hungry Minds, we started to build our dreams for them. I was truly grateful when I found out about the benefits that students receive from Hungry Minds. Aside from good quality education, they also get free uniforms, books, a school bus – that I am truly proud of because my child is on the kids who get to ride the bus, school supplies and meals.
I remember how hard life was when we were young. The rice on the table was just enough to feed all of us siblings. Extra rice was not allowed because the food that was served was just enough for everyone. But here [in Hungry Minds], not only are the meals free and nutritious, but there’s also even extra rice.
Because of Hungry Minds, we became more motivated to work harder to help our children achieve their dreams. In Hungry Minds, our children were provided with nourishing meals but also with the knowledge and values they’ll carry with them when they leave the school. I know that Hungry Minds has prepared our children (for the future). They’ve grown in knowledge, learned to build relationships, gained confidence in interacting with visitors and even had a chance to visit places that, I haven’t been to myself, like Manila Peninsula, Century Park Hotel, KidZania and Mind Museum.
Graduation is both an end and a new beginning. Our children will be in high school next school year. We hope that their learning continues through high school, into college, and that they achieve their dreams for themselves.”