Dancing on stage with her youthful grace and innocent smile, 15-year-old Zaira Villenas savors every moment of escape.

While giving her best performance, she forgets how hard really life is and wishes that she could pass the feeling of ease and contentment to every eye watching her.

Zaira, a grade 9 pupil of Sampaloc National High School, is a beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

For Zaira, being a beneficiary of the said program made her feel that whatever ease and contentment she feels while she performs her dance routines is not just an impossible dream anymore.

Dancing her way to her dreams

“Kami po ay mahirap lamang. Alam ko pong hindi sapat ang kinikita ng aking mga magulang para pangsuporta sa aming apat na magkakapatid,” shared Zaira.

Her father Beato, 50, is a farmer while her mother Jocelyn, 43 is a mat weaver.

Just a month ago, Tatay Beato was diagnosed with problems in his backbone and was advised by medical professionals to refrain from working for at least one year. Today, the family depends on Nanay Jocelyn’s meager income weaving mats to support their daily needs.

Despite their financial struggles, both Tatay Beato and Nanay Jocelyn are proud of their children’s optimism, especially of Zaira’s.

“Si Zaira ay palaging tumutulong sa amin dito sa mga gawain sa bahay. Sa kanyang batang edad ay natuto na rin s’yang maglala para tulungan kami na madagdagan ang kita,” shared Nanay Jocelyn.

For Zaira, she’ll do every thing to make their life easier.

At home, she starts by being a responsible daughter to her parents and sister to her siblings.

“Gumigising po ako ng 4:30 ng umaga para gumawa ng mga gawaing bahay para pag-alis ko, mababawasan na ang gagawin ni Nanay at maaga s’yang makasimula sa paglalala,” shared Zaira.

Nanay Jocelyn earns PhP80 a day depending on the number of mats she finishes weaving for a day. Zaira has learned to help with the weaving to help increase the income.

In school, she makes sure she does not miss a class and takes all the opportunity to learn and develop her potentials. One day, she dreams of being a teacher.

“Kahit kapos kami, nagsusumikap pa rin akong mag-aral. Inspirasyon ko ang mga guro ko na laging sinasabi sa akin na ‘wag problemahin ang kasalukuyan at ituon ang atensyon sa pag-aaral para makapagtapos ako at malayo ang marating ko sa buhay,” she said.

The opportunities provided to her by the Pantawid Pamilya, through the financial assistance her family receives, have fueled her dreams more.

“Napakalaking suporta sa isang katulad ko na nangangarap ang Pantawid Pamilya. Nabigyan ako ng pagkakataon na mas mahubog ang aking kaalaman dahil nakakasali na ako sa iba’t ibang activities at napapanatili ang maayos naming pangangatawan,” she said.

The right attitude

Zaira may have experienced struggles at a young age; however, she remains grateful and positive.

Just like her dance, she knows she’ll find ease and success in her life if she continues taking the right steps—that is not giving up on her dreams and continue working for it.

“Patuloy akong magiging masipag dahil alam kong ang lahat ng karangalang aking nakamit ay nagsimula sa aking pagiging masipag. Kaya kong magtagumpay sa buhay dahil sa pagiging matiyaga at masipag ko,” she shared with conviction.

Being on stage, being a model

While making sure that her every step is right, Zaira does not forget to bring everyone to dance with her.

“Alam kong hindi hadlang ang kahirapan upang makamit ang pangarap ko kaya gusto kong maging modelo sa iba para sama-sama kaming magtagumpay,” she shared.

With this, Zaira starts with being a good role model to her two younger siblings. She also spends time every night to teach them on their assignments and instill to them the value of education for their future.

Her teachers also see Zaira’s potentials as a good influence to her classmates.

Ms. Cherry Ladines, her adviser, commends her being a consistent honor student and her being a role model of good values to her schoolmates.

“Napakahusay n’yang bata sa klase at mahusay rin s’yang leader. Malayo ang mararating n’yang batang ‘yan at nakikita kong nadadala pa n’ya sa mabuti ang mga kasama n’ya,” the teacher shared with pride.

Today, Zaira will do everything in her power to bring everyone with her to the life she’s dreaming to have. She knows she has to start with herself and what she can do now is inspire everyone to follow her steps and dance with her.

Soon, when she becomes a teacher, she knows she’ll be giving a lot of people a more lasting legacy than the short feeling of enjoyment and peace she gives everyone when she dances on stage.#