This photo of a young girl studying on the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Recto Station has been making the rounds on the interwebs lately.
The inspiring image was shared by James Co on ABS-CBN’s Bayan Mo, I-Patrol Mo Facebook page and it has since gone viral. Countless netizens have been touched and amazed by this young girl’s persistence to study despite being stricken by poverty.
As it turns out, the young girl’s identity has been discovered following a report by TV Patrol.
Her name is Cielo Gonzales and she’s a 7-year-old girl who belongs to a homeless family. She lives with Linda and Jennilyn, her mother and 10-year-old sister respectively, and they make a living collecting and selling garbage.
Despite being poor, Linda hopes to see her daughters finish school someday so they can have a brighter future. Her older sister, on the other hand, said that she makes it a point to teach Cielo how to write and she was practicing when the photo was taken. The siblings use paper and notebooks they have found in the garbage.
For the most part, the picture drew positive reaction from social media users with some quickly springing into action by offering donations, school materials, and even scholarships. Others, however, felt angry for the miserable condition of the young girl and her family. For them, this is an evidence of the government’s failure to help the needy. There are also those who condemned young Cielo’s parents, accusing them for being negligent.
Regardless of everyone’s opinion, one couldn’t deny that it is indeed inspiring to see a young girl so determined to learn and stay in school despite being indigent. Personally, I do hope that her hard work pays off and that she reaches whatever her dreams may be. She definitely deserves a better life.
Watch the video courtesy of ABS-CBN