Giving the gift of hope to her family

Vanjie Rojas is among a generation of heroes emerging in communities throughout the developing world who are striving to achieve self-reliance.

Vanjie, an indigenous tribesperson from the village of Zamboanga in the Philippines, is in college and views her education - made possible by a HOPE donor - as the key to her village’s future.

“I want to return to my community with the skills and means to serve them. The whole community is waiting for my return. I am their source of hope for a better future, for both them and their children,” says Vanjie.

Like the majority of indigenous people in the Philippines, Vanjie is all too familiar with extreme poverty.

Overlooked by government, and referred to as “Eee Pees” (cockroaches) by non-indigenous people, her people continue to suffer both physically and emotionally. Vanjie’s situation is even more challenging because of a car accident that seriously injured her sister and killed her father.

Undaunted by oppression and poverty, Vanjie’s commitment to her community stems from a first-hand understanding of how education has transformed her life, and a belief that she can help families in Zamboanga by giving her community what was given to her – an education.

“I’ll be a teacher for my tribe and community in adult literacy, so that they can have the knowledge of how to improve their lives and hold the government accountable for providing help and basic services.  If not, we will continue to live in total poverty, without even such simple things as a clean source of water,” says Vanjie.