This Bajau girl has big dreams

Gaira Nelson, 23, never thought that her passport to her dreams will be her academic scholarship. Thanks to the Claret Samal Foundation, Inc. which is handled by the Claretian Missionaries, her desire to finish her studies was fulfilled.

Gaira started her studies in preparatory school in 1991, through the Claret Samal Foundation. The eldest among 12 children, she was almost forced to marry at an early age like most people of her age. A man wants to marry her for a dowry but she refused and good thing that her parents did not allow it.

She has almost lost her hope when both her parents want to separate and nobody will support her studies apart from the scholarship. Good thing that the foundation intervened since they have their counseling program for the parents and the planned separation never happened and they have agreed to continue helping her in her studies.

In 2013, Gaira finished Bachelor of Arts Major in English at the Claret College of Isabela, used to be handled by the Claretians but now under the Prelature of Isabela.

She is now currently working as a preschool teacher and livelihood teacher to the Samal Village Learning Center in Basilan as a way of giving back to the foundation that helped her and as her service to her tribesmen.

“When you are afraid, you will not reach your dreams. It is a great achievement for us to be able to finish college,” Gaira said.

“My fellow Bajaus have been discriminated since time immemorial. I want to change this by helping them to learn,” Gaira said.

Gaira wants to pursue Professional Education so she will take the licensure exam for teachers and soon become a full-fledged teacher.

CLARETIAN SUPPORT

Bro. Nicer Natulla, Project in-charge of the Claret Samal Foundation, Inc. said they have been helping Bajaus achieve their dreams for 15 years already. They have a total of nine college graduates as of 2015 since the program started.

They start their support since the child before preparatory school. They start with organizing the Bajau communities before starting to identify the beneficiaries.

Aside from community organizing and educational support, they also handle the health education, livelihood, and preservation and promotion of the Bajau culture.

“If we do not do anything, their culture as people will die,” Bro. Natulla said during an interview with DCHerald.

“One of the objectives of CSFI is to help break the cycle of poverty through education. We have an educational program sponsoring willing high school and college Bajau students who want to undergo formal education,” Bro. Natulla said, adding they also have preparatory schools for children.

CSFI is located in Townsite, Maluso, Basilan province and caters six (6) Bajau communities.

For inquiries on how to support, one may check their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ClaretSamalBajauFoundation