The impact of poverty on one’s access to getting an education cannot be underestimated. Children from low-income families are much more likely to miss out going to school. No one can attest to this fact better than Ann Beatty, who left school at age 15 to help support her family financially. It meant giving up her dream to be a lawyer. “When I was growing up, we were economically poor, so it wasn’t possible for me to go for higher education,” says Ann.
The biggest life-changing influences that made her realise that education was important were her father and her time spent in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Trained as a life coach who worked her way up to leadership positions for the past 22 years, her knowledge and skills were honed by years on-the-job, and her values polished through trial-and-error experiences from the “university of life” until she found her calling to help break the education injustice cycle.
Nina Daza Puyat: The Making of Food Legends
Filipino food connoisseur and writer Nina Daza Puyat is on a mission to advocate flavoursome food journeys from farm to table for kids to appreciate where their food comes from. Her palatable two children’s books — ‘Ang Alamat ng Lumpiang Shanghai’ (The Legend of Fried Spring Rolls) and ‘The Forlorn Rice Cooker’ —are wrapped in a delightful fusion of savoury culture and rich history in snack-sized bites served on a platter garnished with a heap of take-away lessons while encouraging young readers to cook.
“I believe that we would have a deeper understanding and appreciation of Filipino food if we could connect the dish to our land, people, traditions, and culture,” advocates Nina. "I hope to continue my mom’s mission in a slightly different path – still talking about our Filipino food culture but instead, presenting it in a way that sparks people’s imagination and feeds their soul,” declares Nina, whose mom is the legendary Nora Daza acclaimed for elevating and bringing Filipino cuisine to the world.
A typical millennial university graduate would have set out to land a job in the corporate world. No one would have dreamt of working in a sweatshop as a ‘karang guni’ (gunny sack). Millennial Bryan Peh certainly did not expect to be a karang guni. But after a series of rejection in job interviews, he reluctantly accepted his father’s offer to join the family karang guni business. He was in self-denial at first, but now he has no regrets. He has been collecting and sorting an average of 100 tonnes of waste a month since 2016. He has also launched Earth Recycling, a disposal service to help efforts toward a more sustainable environment.
“Until we get equality in education, we won’t have an equal society.”
- Sonia Sotomayor -
Nothing touches the human heart more than a compelling story that sparks hope, encouragement and good vibes. Many resonate with us. Others nudge us to take action. Some urge us to pause and ponder. A few restore our faith in humanity.
Weekly Sparks’ pursuit of enriching stories connects us to diverse communities of awe-inspiring individuals who open their hearts (some reluctantly) hoping that in sharing their struggles, pain and, eventually, triumphs someone out there can find the courage to pursue his/her aspirations.
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