Dahil sa Kahirapan, sa Dahon Nagsusulat ang Estudyanteng Ito

Way back in the 2016 presidential elections, an impoverished student was featured in the media. Jhesa Balbastro, a 14-year-old student, shared her struggles due to poverty. Since her family cannot afford paper, Jhesa was forced to write in a leaf.

During the interview, Jhesa narrated their daily struggles in life. In spite of that, she's still determined to finish her studies and hopefully change her fate. In addition to that, she also told ABS-CBN News what prompted her to write on a leaf:

"May spelling test po kami noon. Walang pera po kami pambili ng papel. Nahiya po ako manghiram ng papel sa mga kaklase ko kaya dahon na lang sinulatan ko."

Many of Jhesa's classmates who don't understand her situation made fun of her. In spite of this, the hardworking student didn't let the critics get in her way. For Jhesa, she only has her eyes on her ultimate goal: to finish her schooling no matter what it takes.

That was three years ago. Today, Jhesa Balbastro is already in her ninth grade in high school. Some things might have changed, but Jhesa's determination and will have only gotten stronger through time. In fact, her teacher Mary Ann Doroy is a witness to Jhesa's sacrifices.

According to Teacher Mary Anne, the hardworking student shows promise inside the classroom. Apparently, Jhesa is a bright student who always bags high grades from all of her subjects. In addition to that, the teacher reported that Jhesa is an enthusiastic student.

Hopefully, in the future, students like her won't have to write in leaf just to get by. Teacher Mary Ann calls for change to help struggling students like Jhesa achieve their dreams.

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