My Advocacy by Wilma Lone

If you asked me years ago what I wanted to do in life, my answer would have been the same as it is today:

To help people, support my family, serve my community, and inspire as many adults and children as possible”.

 – WILMA LONE –

Special Projects Lead
FWA-UK

When I look back to when I was a young girl, I am amazed by how far I have come. Like every young girl’s dream,  I wanted to make a difference, I did not know how I was going to do it, but I knew I wanted to leave a legacy of humility in helping others by contributing to their success, happiness, well-being and stability.

Coming from a humble background, my success in life has not been achieved by luck, but through hard work, determination, and a strong sense of self-worth.  Even at an early age, I had ambitions.  I wanted to get out of poverty, and I knew I would have to work hard to achieve my dreams.

I was born in 1970 in a remote village outside of Tacloban City.  I was the 5th of the six siblings, and we were poor.  My parents were orphans from a very tender age with no access to education and other basic needs. Despite not having enough money or resources, we were blessed with extraordinary parents who instilled a strong moral compass and value system in us that has anchored me along my journey.  They worked extremely hard to make sure we had food, shelter and access to primary education that was available free through the public-school system.

I am very proud of where I came from as it allowed me and my siblings to push even harder to pull our entire family out of poverty.  I had an opportunity to change the course of direction and to make it better for future generations.

In sharing my financial success with my immediate family including my parents, nieces, and nephews, I have been able to provide a comfortable life for my siblings and their children through educational grants and livelihood.  My past is a part of my present and it will always be a part of me for which I am so grateful.

Currently, I’m spreading my wings to our communities as a stakeholder and partner of our 3 local public schools with over 450 pupils. By giving a helping hand, adopt a school, providing educational materials and tools, small scale infrastructure, installation of water supply, beautification/fencing /landmarks/landscaping, supplemental feedings, providing sports equipment’s uniforms, funding for extracurricular activities, and innovation balik-eskwuela.  Through these humble contributions to the children, they are now able to realise their own potential and achieve their dreams of having a brighter future.  In collaboration with the principals, Parents Teachers Association, and local leaders, we foster the same common ground promoting unity through diversity and quality education for all.

This is my life commitment and I will continue to serve.  By joining FWA-UK, it has helped me realise my full potential to become a leader, mentor, and contributor for the organisation. It’s my great honour to be part of the Association with dynamic volunteers working together towards a common goal which has made a great impact to the lives of so many children and vulnerable women and elderly.

Mabuhay and I thank you all!

My Project Proposal:

This outlines a project I am very passionate about. I propose to set up a support programme for individuals who might not have entered a  traditional higher education in the Philippines.

This project will represent a key factor in the development of strong individuals. It will raise awareness and expectations whilst playing a vital role in removing barriers and creating pathways for high school students wanting to access higher education. This project will be planned, coherent and contribute to an incremental journey to take students towards their educational goals.

The process will involve raising X amount of money which would be enough to see one child through 4 years at college/university. We will select the individuals based on their academic ability and disadvantaged background. The money would be set up as a fund for the individual so that they can access and utilise these funds for fees, resources, and maintenance. For example, £10,000 would be used for fees, travel, books, materials, and tuition for the course throughout the 4 years. It will also enable learners without technology and access to the internet to become equipped with the tools needed to support them throughout this time.

This project will transform the future of those from disadvantaged backgrounds by providing equality of opportunity and improving access to higher education. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds face many challenges such as greater risk of financial insecurity, technological disadvantages, anxiety and isolation which  has implications on their future progression.

We will monitor the selected student’s progress throughout the four years. We will set up meetings to learn more about their experience, provide advice and motivate them.

Gathering evidence and evaluating it will be crucial to gauge the impact and effectiveness of this project. It will also help to identify any issues, learning and adapting accordingly.

There is no doubt about the challenges faced by disadvantaged students. There are real concerns about the impact on their attainment and expectations around higher education. It is more important than ever to make progress on access and success for such students, regardless of their background. I strongly believe this project will benefit these young people.