Scavenger is city's most outstanding student

CEBU, Philippines - The line “poverty is not a hindrance to success” may be cliché’ but it fits most to describe Raffy Sanchez’s story in one sentence.

Eighteen-year-old Sanchez graduated valedictorian at the Cebu City Don Carlos A. Gothong Memorial Night High School this year. He was one of the 260 outstanding students in Cebu City awarded during the 24th Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. Academic Excellence Awarding Rites yesterday at the White Gold House Restaurant.

Sharing the story of his life before fellow valedictorian and first honor graduates of his batch, tears can’t stop flowing from his eyes narrating how he survived high school while working during the day and studying during the night.

Almost everybody present in that grand ballroom was awed at the revelation that he graduated with the highest honor despite being a streetchild and a scavenger.

You read right - a streetchild and a scavenger. At the age of 11, he left their house to live in the streets but without giving up his studies.

He said he decided to be independent to lighten the burden of his parents whose income was not enough to feed eight children.

Sanchez was the first to graduate high school in his family.

“I didn’t expect to be able to finish high school. But my life has been a testimony of God’s boundless mercy,” Sanchez said.

He recalled going to school with only two notebooks, a pen and a plastic bag as a school bag. He often skipped lunch because he had no money to buy food. He said he was always present in all feeding programs he was invited to.

Sanchez is roaming around the city to pick trash and sell them to the junkshop during the day. He stops scavenging at 2 p.m. to attend school.

“Most of children my age are already sleeping at midnight while my fellow streetchildren and I are still up and in the streets scavenging until late dawn,” he recalled.

“People see me as an outcast and just a trash in the society but God knows that I am not. My motivation is my dream that someday I will become a professional and will rescue my family from the squatters’ area,” Sanchez said.

When he was seven, he had to beg alms to survive. When his family transferred here from Barili, they also lived in the sidewalks for five years before they decided to rent a small house at P450 a month along the pier area.

His mother Rejina, 47, was with him yesterday to receive the award for his hard work.

“I am very very happy and I am proud of him,” she said about her son. Rejina said she is glad that at least one of her children was able to finish high school which she herself was not able to achieve.

Her husband Fidelino, 52, shines shoes for a living and earns an average of P100 a day.

Raffy said that he is drawing his motivation to succeed from his parents and the difficulty they are experiencing right now. His determination to succeed was so strong not even once did he try to sniff rugby despite consistent invitation from fellow streetchildren.

Last year, he was rescued by nuns and provided with proper shelter, food and clothing at the Balay Samaritano, a drop-in center run by priests and nuns near the cathedral church. Now, he is a volunteer teacher of street kids at the center.

Given the chance to proceed to college, he said he would take up secondary education course majoring in English or Filipino.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama told the awardees to put to good use the gift of knowledge and intelligence bestowed to them. He reminded them with emphasis to use modern technology wisely.

Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young, Representative Tomas Osmeña and son Miguel and former Rep. Raul del Mar also attended and congratulated the awardees. — (FREEMAN)