Malen finds Hope in Noche Buena Gift
14-year-old Malen loves doing her homework in the balcony of their little home. She spends most of her time there, working hard to get good grades and keep her Top 1 standing in class. But Malen is not your typical teenager. At a young age, her father left to work in Manila and never returned. Her mother, who is a person with a disability, took the responsibility of providing for Malen and her younger brother by being a potmaker. Her mom’s finished product is priced at Php15 each. Malen helps her mother on weekends or whenever she doesn’t have class.
Like most children, Malen loves Christmas. Her all-time favorite food is spaghetti – a food she was able to taste for the first in 2015 when she received a Noche Buena gift from World Vision.
Sharing her experience of receiving Noche Buena gift for the first time sparked joy in Malen’s eyes. Even talking about it makes her smile from ear to ear. And for the longest time since her father left them, she was extremely happy.
Before she began receiving Noche Buena gifts, Malen and her family usually just slept Christmases away. It was like any other day because they didn’t have anything to celebrate with. World Vision changed that for her and her family. Now, Christmas is more meaningful.
As December fast approaches, Malen’s prayer is to see her family whole again. But even when it doesn’t happen this year, Malen is still grateful for the family she has – a loving mother and a reliable brother. Being able to celebrate Christmas with them is already a beautiful memory.
