Around GMA

Article Inside Page

After years of supporting them from afar, Kara David brought five of her scholars from different provinces to Manila for a special reunion and mentoring workshop.

Among them were Omnia Ebrahim from Marawi and Dizza from Romblon, two scholars whose inspiring journeys Kara has supported for nearly a decade.

Omnia, who became a Project Malasakit scholar in 2016, recently traveled to Manila for the first time from Marawi. Kara personally welcomed her at the airport as she arrived for the mentoring workshop.

Omnia comes from one of the poorest communities in Lanao del Sur, where poverty remains a major challenge for young girls pursuing their education. Ten years after becoming a scholar, she is now a college student in Marawi pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

Meanwhile, Dizza first met Kara in 2015 in a remote community on Sibuyan Island, Romblon. Orphaned at just 12 years old, Dizza had been working in the forest to help support her two younger brothers.

Her story was later featured in the i-Witness documentary “Batang Balau.” Kara and her team eventually took Dizza and her brothers in as scholars, helping provide for their education, food and daily expenses.

Now, 11 years later, Dizza is a third-year college student pursuing a BS Marketing degree. She traveled for 24 hours by boat from Sibuyan Island to Manila to attend the mentoring workshop and reunite with the other Project Malasakit scholars.

Kara shared that many of her scholars are people she has yet to meet personally, with their communication often limited to phone calls and online conversations. This prompted the team to bring some of their scholars who are nearing college graduation to Manila for the special gathering.

The five scholars came from Bicol, Batangas, Cavite, Romblon and Marawi. Despite meeting and getting to know one another for the first time, Kara said they bonded well during the reunion.

The mentoring workshop was made possible with the help of Project Malasakit Foundation social worker Zhai Rosero and sponsor Deutsche Bank Philippines.

For Kara, the gathering was an opportunity not only to mentor her scholars but also to celebrate how far they have come.

From traveling by boat for 24 hours to flying to Manila for the first time, Omnia and Dizza showed the determination that has carried them through their respective journeys.

Kara expressed her pride in all five scholars and thanked them for traveling from their respective provinces to be part of the special reunion.

RELATED GALLERY: