HN Issue 13: Student to Teacher: FH's First Sponsored Child in Philippines

The first sponsored child in a Metro Manila, Philippines community comes full circle.

Allan Aquila playfully introduces himself as “001.” The code is not a movie-inspired nickname, but the child sponsorship number given to him years ago when FH started working in the Tangos community of Metro Manila, Philippines. Allan was the first sponsored child in his area.

Allan remembers when FH Canada first moved into his neighbourhood. His mother told him that a sponsor in Canada wanted to help him go to school and receive extra training. Allan still has the letters his sponsor sent him.

Sponsorship provided Allan with leadership training, school supplies and clothes—things most people in Canada take for granted. But more than just the practical provisions, Allan remembers being impacted by the fact that others wanted him to succeed in life. It played a huge role in helping him get to where he is today.

Unlike most 23-year-olds who grew up in one of the Philippines' poorest communities, Allan has completed a college degree in science. He trained with the National Filipino Gymnastics team for two years, but a bout of Dengue Fever kept him from competing overseas with his team.

Instead of losing hope, Allan chose to volunteer in his local church-the church FH had partnered with during his youth. Allan started working with the younger boys from the community and within a few years he realized he wanted to become a pastor.

Allan says the shift in career path felt very natural. He had become accustomed to watching people serve in his church, and he had observed the leadership of the FH child development staff. Over time, he developed a similar desire to lead and serve.

Allan now teaches Sunday school and is hosting three cell groups for young people, training over 50 youth in faith and leadership. Several of his pupils are currently sponsored through FH Canada in nearby communities, and Allan is a model of what they can accomplish.

Allan could have left his community and pursued a higher-paying career in the city, but his faith inspired him to invest into the next generation the same way he was invested into as a child.
“God called and FH responded in my community,” he explains. “I feel called to do the same thing.”

Child sponsorship enables families to meet the critical development needs of their children as their community works towards sustainability. FH Canada has many children waiting for sponsors. Go to www.povertyrevolution.org/child and change the life of a child and their community forever.