Transform Marjorie and Tasyana's life with a gift that will last for generations.
With more than 600,000 people live in Manila's slum district of Tondo, the worst of the conditions can be found at Tondo's 'Happyland' BRGY105 where the population has grown from around 3,500 in 2006 to more than 12,000 today.
Marjorie and Tasyana are two single mothers who for the last 12 years have lived here. Spending each day going through McDonalds leftovers to survive. Recooking and selling what is locally known in the slum as Pagpag a dish made from bits of meat found in the trash.
They sell the recooked food to hungry families in the slums for 30p per bag. Earning around £3 per day, they both face the daily struggle to try and put their children through education as well as trying to survive in their one room shack with no shower and no bed.
Marjorie wants to provide her children with an education so when she is no longer here, they will at least have the foundations of knowledge to hopefully leave Happyland behind.
We came across their harrowing story whilst visiting the slum in Tondo recently. Cautious at first, they decided to let us into their lives, and it quickly became clear that the issues they faced went beyond earning money. Poverty, severe malnutrition and disease is an everyday reality for Marjorie and Tasyana's family.
Together, we can provide both families with a new home to live in, beds to sleep in and give their children an education that will support them with a new future so can leave Happyland once and for good.
Support will also be given to Marjorie and Tasyana who want to start a new business selling clean water.
Special thanks to: Paul Setares, Bei Yuh, Eira Miguel, Gabby Banares, Nathasia Yazon.
Donor comments:
It's Okay! We are with you and we love you! - Mohammed
Thank you for giving these people a platform speak their stories. - Anonymous
To give is to to receive. - Anonymous
Thank you for doing what you do and shining light on these stories.- Karen
Like she said, "Life is fair and unfair." Thank you for making it a little fairer for her and her family. - Anonymous
This story broke my heart. I wish these families all the success their love deserves - Ruth
I hope she lives a better life, her and her Children deserve it 😔- Anonymous.
"Wishing Marjorie & Tasyana very Best for their future. Wonderful humanitarian work by Verse." - Donna-Maria
"May Allah bless them and fulfill all their good deeds." - Anonymous.
"What an amazingly wonderful thing you are doing for our world by bringing us the opportunity to help these people who are in these awful situations. Keep up the great work!" - Melanie
"These women are forced to dig out of the trash for food to feed their children. Mommy works very hard so we can have a better life, but I need you to remember how hard we struggle forever because if we were somewhere else in the world it could have been us. One day it is going to be your chance to change the world, so I want you to remember our story, and the story of these two women, and I want you to help me make this world a better place. Mommy loves you." - Felicia (In honor of Cahira).
"Incredible and powerful short film." - Suni
Today, provide Marjorie and Tasyana's family with a better job, a better home, and a much better future.
100% of your donation will go to:
STAGE 1: £1500
Marjorie:
- £890 will be used to buy a new house in the Isabel province.
Tasyana:
- £440 will be used to pay off a debt that she's been paying for over 3 years.
- £146 will be used to build her a new shop so she can support her family without having to cook pagpag and pay off the debt collector.
STAGE 2: £5000
Marjorie:
- £890 will be used to buy a new house in the Isabel province.
- £500 will go to giving her eldest son an education in college.
- £600 will buy the family a vehicle so they can commute and use it for business.
- £510 will support her family with food and essentials.
Tasyana:
- £440 will be used to pay off a debt that she's been paying for over 3 years.
- £146 will be used to build her a new shop so she can support her family without having to cook pagpag and pay off the debt collector.
- £500 will be used to build her a bigger shop so she can support her family without having to cook pagpag and pay off the debt collector.
- £400 will give her two daughters an education in college.
- £1160 will go to buying her family a new home in central Manila.
ONGOING DONATIONS:
Further donations past Stage 2 will go to providing both women with ongoing support.
Spread the word.
Follow every step.
We will share the progress of Marjorjie and Tasyana's story by filming the change, we call these "Impact Stories", showing you the difference you made on this story. That's what we call true transparency!
Your donation, now making a difference.
From over 30 countries you came together to give Marjorie and Tasyana a future they could only dream of. Because of your support their dream is now turning into a reality.
Thursday 14th February 2019
Work continues on the back wall of Tasyana's shop. With only a few milli meters of rusted sheets, cockroaches are rats were . Tasyana looks on at the transformation.
Wednesday 13th February 2019
Where your donation goes.
Excited and grateful to have received the first part of your donations, they've already set to work.
Tasyana has hired local construction workers to start building a new foundation for her shop that will provide both security and protection before the typhoon season arrives.
The shop will provide them with new opportunities to earn and support themselves in the future. With a lack of clean water in the slum, Tasyana and her daughters have already decided on selling mineral water, as well as mobile internet credit and other essential groceries.
Whilst Marjorie has left Manila for Isabella's countryside to begin building a house that will provide her children with a completely new future, starting with an education.