Graduate & Livelihood Programs

"I have lived a simple life, with my father working as a sugar cone cutter, in a family of ten siblings. As I grew up, I wasn't fully aware of my situation and everything happening around me. As I turned seven years old, I began to sense that something set me apart, something different in me compared to other kids. As a cheerful child, I would sometimes find myself shedding tears and dwelling on my situation because there's something wrong in me Even so, I never lost hope and continued to pray every day, yearning for someone who might lend a helping hand to improve my condition. I understood that my family couldn't afford the resources to address my situation, but my faith remained unwavering as I sought a brighter future. When I turned ten years old, I bravely pursued education and aimed to live a normal life. I enrolled in grade one with hope and determination. However, within a year, my confidence decreased as I faced challenges. Many people and kids couldn't understand me, and I struggled with communication. Overwhelmed, I withdrew, spending most of my time alone in my room, too shy to confront my emotions. Eventually, the teasing from some older students further deepened my struggles, leading me to the decision to stop attending school and stay at home but even in the midst of my struggles, a glimmer of hope remained within me. I held onto the belief that someday, somehow, I would find a way to go back to school.

One day in the year 2019, I accompanied my grandmother to gather some woods for cooking. During our journey, a man on a bicycle approached us, attempting to communicate, but I couldn't understand him. Fortunately, there was a person in our village who could comprehend his words. This kind individual conveyed to us that I had the chance to visit the TEN Foundations. That marked the moment when I first met Papa Ian, the man on the bicycle. At that moment, I didn't understand the man's thoughts, and I had no idea what was happening. Despite my confusion, I decided to follow him to the Ten Foundation, accompanied by my mother and auntie. Even though I couldn't make sense of their conversation, little did I know that this day would mark the beginning of a gradual transformation in my life and the answer to my prayers.

The foundation informed me that I would undergo an operation, followed by a scholarship. And as they promised, the day for my cleft palate surgery finally arrived, and it turned out to be a success. I felt an overwhelming sense of happiness as I never expected all of these wonderful things to happen in my life. The kindness and support I received from the foundation were beyond what I could have imagined, and it marked the beginning of a new chapter filled with hope and opportunities. Because of the foundation's support, I gained confidence to face people, and I made many friends. They also gave me a chance to study through ALS for three years, and I successfully graduated from elementary school. Now, I am about to start high school, and I have received a diploma and a medal, things I never thought I could have. I am grateful for all these opportunities that have changed my life.

Because of the help I received, especially from Papa Ian, I am very happy and grateful for everything I have now, including my family. Their support has inspired me to dream of helping others in need in the future, just like Papa Ian helped me. I want to make a difference and be there for those who require assistance. I will do my best to achieve this goal and create a positive impact in the lives of others.

When I was on elementary my father always told me that in the future I will become a teacher. I don't actually see myself as one. My family migrated from manila to balayan. To continue my studies my mother enrolled me in BECS. When I was in grade 4 I'm in fifth section. I do my best and for that I became their top 2 student. when I was in grade 5, I became section 2. I was very inspired on studying. I became the 1 honor of the class. During the month of December, my mind is clear that someday I will create my path in my chosen career. December 26 a day after Christmas. My dad died. He was killed by my ninong. My clear path become shallow, glass full of dust stone bricksa and nail.
I'm the eldest. I have no one but my family. I have nothing but my books my notebook and my pens. I have been drowned by my tears as it drop on my writings.

I graduated just in time. Just in time and my mother was there to hold my diploma, that supposedly my father should hold for me. My highschool life begin. I loose my hope my passion, my creativeness, my eagerness, my inspiration. I lose balance. My mother needs to work far from us, just to continue our life. I stand not only as elder child but as my siblings mother and father. I do homechors before, after and while I'm studying. In every lunch I go back to our house to see to it that my siblings have already eat their lunch. Its hard, but I accept it.
I'm third year student when I got very tired of fighting. Fight to study, fight to smile, fight to be in the field where I loved to be before. One teacher told me, cy don't give up. She tried many times for me to come back. My classmates go to my house just to curt me to stay in studying.
I do.
Yes I do. I go back. I'm physical there, but mentally absent. One teacher introduce me into a feeding program, for me not to go home just to eat lunch.
I don't have any information from where do this foods came from.

One day, a white man came and just talk to me while the feeding is on going. He talk to me for a while and ask if he can go to our house and see my life behind my smile. And I said yes, sir. You may. I let him enter to our house as if I let him enter my life to.
The moment I see your smile in a very first time, I knew your different. Your one of a kind man I can met in my whole life.
And from that you change my life.
You just change my life. I decided not to go in college just because my mother needs me to immediately support my family. My mind is clear that this will be the start of my journey towards working. Earning small money and feed my family.
But in my graduation, one tarpaulin change my live. In the tarpaulin, it said that I'm cyjoery Torres balboa has been granted as one of the SCHOLARS of TEN FOUNDATION from IRELAND. Cold air Touches my back. And smoothly warm water just flow down from my eyes. The man that I let in my house just open the door for my college life. Yes Papa ian, that you. You are my greatest father. You've shown me new life to begin. And now after 4 years, I graduated as a SECONDARY TEACHER EDUCATION, and that is because you grant me the door for new living. Endless gratitude is your my father. No words can explain how great you have made for us. It not my life alone, its my family.
#TENFOUNDATION'SCHOLAR

I am 19 years old and I am one of the scholar of Ten Foundation. I just wanna share my story with you all. It's about how did I know the Ten foundations in my life and how it helps me a lot?

I was about six years in Ten Foundation's scholar student. And it started when my mother died. Then I met Joy Ganadin who was the manager of this Ten Foundation in those days. She helped me get into this Ten Foundation because she knew that my family was in poor condition. We never had our own house since my family moved to Balayan Batangas, so that we don't have permanent address that time.

In year 2013, my mother had a breast cancer stage 4 and after a few months, sadly she died. And I was 13 years old the time my mother died. At that moment, I felt lonely, that feeling you lost hope and courage to continue and finish your studies someday.

Until one day, I met Joy who was the manager of Ten Foundation in that year. Then she talked to me about what's going on in that moment and she asked me directly what will be my plan after my Mother's funeral and she also mentioned about my studies? We had a little conversation about that matters. So, I shared my story with Joy, about my desire to continue my studies because I dreamed of attending a college someday. And I do not want to hinder my dream its just because my mother died, with no one to guide me and help me or support my needs in terms of my studies. I know I was young and I don't know what am I supposed to do, even though I know that I still have my brothers who are with me, but still there is my fear that my Mother not beside me anymore. But Thanks to Joy, she keep motivates me in every way. She encouraged me to join as a scholar of Ten Foundation. And I joined! =)

In year 2014, personally I met Papa Ian Campbell who was the founder of Ten Foundation. (We called him Papa as Father of Team 10 Families). When I met him for the first time of my life, I felt a sense of joy in my heart and something a light feeling and peace of mind. I don't know why, maybe it is because when you met him personally, you saw his heart clearly that he has a good heart and a big heart to those people who like me, needy families. And I was right that Papa Ian was totally amazing, awesome and great for everyone who knows him, because even he is Irish and from a thousands miles away in Philippines, he chose the Philippines to send helps. He had a heart that would ihelp most poor people, so he built a foundation that would great for every pilipino's who in needs, not just for those who wanted to graduate college but also on the vulnerable families in the country.

For me, it's really a big big help having Ten Foundation in my life. It helps me a lot in many things especially in my financial needs. From the moment I continue my studies but my age doesn't exact on my year level, so I took an acceleration exam in Alternative Learning System or (ALS) for primary and secondary level, and they supported me until I passed the exam and that was batch year 2014-2015. Now I am currently taking up Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management or (BSTM) in 4th year level, and one of the graduating student candidates on May 04 2019. This will be credited by Papa Ian Campbell who was the founder of Ten Foundation, Team Ten families and my families. They were my inspirations to win this fight, for my dreams. And this would be my long journey's beginning.


I am very thankful for having Ten Foundation or Team Ten families in my my life. And to Papa Ian and his Family, to all the volunteers and supporters of Ten Foundation, to Ate Arline Gajisan (who was the manager of Ten foundation since year 2016 an til now), to all Team Ten families, and to all my families, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR THE UNDYING LOVE AND SUPPORT YOU GUYS HAVE GIVEN ME. I owe it to you all. I know my words is not enough to say THANK YOU but all of your efforts will be remembered and appreciated now and forever in my whole life. I LOVE YOU ALL!

And I always wanted to thanks people who loves and believes me that I can be the best version of me. 💖

My name is Babalyn Paleria, 28 years old, with 5 children from Batangas Philippines. How my life was changed by Ten Foundation 10 years ago. Here is how my story begins…

My only dream for my children is send them in school till they finish studies and they will experience a good life like other children, give them a better future. But for someone like me, no education, I could not get a job.

Our house was made from plastics, rice sacks and patches of scrap of plywood. No water, no electricity. For us to eat at night, we tap on the electricity of neighbour and shut down when finished but sometimes neighbour turn off the light even we still eating because we don’t have money to pay for the light. My husband went fishing but what he earned was not enough to support our daily needs, could not even eat 2 times a day sometimes none if no fish catches. Way back then I had four children and really struggling in life. When my children say “ Mama, we are very hungry”, I just told them to take some sleep and when wake up there would be delicious food at the table. I can’t help my tears to fall while looking to my children and my heart broke down into pieces because of the situation. At young age my children oversee the terrible scenario of life.

I decided to accept laundry from anyone and wash dishes to the neighbour to buy foods for my children. Then, I find out that I was pregnant to my fifth child. I don’t know what to do to raise another child. I don’t want another child starves in hunger and live in a horrible life we had. After two weeks of delivery, I and my husband decided to give our child to the neighbour. As a mother it was heart breaking, I just cry looking my child leaving with neighbour.

We continue to live in a tough life and I almost give up until one day, people talking about there would be a foundation {TEN FOUNDATION} that will conduct feeding program in our place. My children were some of the beneficiary in the feeding program. And I meut Papa Ian and his people. They feed the children in our place daily including mine. They told us that they would like to help me. They have livelihood program and they will train mothers in sewing bag. I was afraid because I have no knowledge at all and maybe I would not be qualified because never had skills. They trained me very well; I learned and earned money more than what I got before in laundry or washing dishes.

Now, I am proud and happy as I have permanent job with the help of Ten Foundation. I able to built a concrete house, with electricity, with running water. I also bought motorbike for my husband for his job. My children are all studying in school and we have food served in our table. Not only that, Ten Foundation helped me to develop my skills which I never knew I am capable with.

TEN FOUNDATIONS transformed my life from dim light into a bright future. It does really change my life.

Being widowed and having children it was very difficult to support them alone until I met my second husband, but things get worsened a lot of trial came. So, I always made a way to earn a living for us and to provide for the needs of my children especially in their education. So, what happened was I was actually working for my family. I was always ended up begging our neighbors and other people for us to have something to eat. My parents and relatives were unable to help us also because of the poverty. Our house is just made of sacks and the roof has leaked so it's hard for us when its rainy days. We all struggling when we go to bed at night . When the Ten Foundations first came into my life and I had the opportunity to work on it, it made a huge difference to our family from daily living life.  Tremendous help for us that I became among those given a job as a seamstress at Ten Foundations Livelihood.

To compare before our life now is different because we actually can eat three times a day, I no longer worry too much about what we will eat on a daily basis and I am able to gradually renovate our little house with the help of Ten Foundations in me.  I am very grateful because the Ten Foundations first impressed me with its amazingly goodness to me, now we have our own and proper toilet because of the help provided by the Ten Foundations and the supporters. Forever I am wholeheartedly grateful to all those who continue to support the ten foundation even in the midst of this pandemic that has plagued so many people. Thank you so much Ten Foundations especially Papa Ian for tirelessly helping poor people like me. I know words are not enough to say thank you but I always wanted to say I am more than grateful today because you always make us secured even of this kind of situation which a pandemic, we are still facing today but this is also the time you never abandoned us. We are able to provide our daily needs because of your helps given us continually. I won't have a hard time to think where I should get things we need because I always have to look forward every week you provide for us. Thank you so much Ten Foundations.
Lucia