Children of sugarcane workers

Jose has ambitions. He wants to be a businessman in the future for the sake of his parents who work in the sugarcane fields. He helps his parents in the fields every weekend and on days he is free. Among the children, he is the only one that their parents can afford to send to school because their wages are not even enough to meet the family’s everyday needs.

Jose is a strong boy. Because of their present life, he doesn’t want to give up his ambitions to help himself and his family. He studies hard and works hard so he can complete his schooling; he is always in the top 10. He wakes up very early in the morning to draw water from the river, cooks the family meals, sees to the family needs, and then proceeds to work in the fields with his parents and siblings.

After the day’s labor he goes to school to attend his classes. Every vacant period he goes to the library to study his lessons. After school he goes home and cooks the family dinner because he knows his parents are too tired from work to do the chore.

Jose is a responsible son and brother to his parents and siblings. He does his best to make good in school because his inspiration is his family. He wants his siblings to go to school, too, and he wants to support their education. He wants to give his family a good life after he finishes school.

And Jose graduates from high school with honors. His parents, who have always dreamt that he would complete his studies, are very proud of him. They cry at seeing their son on stage, wearing the medal for honor students.

Later Jose’s parents tell him he can’t go on to college because the family can’t afford it. But he tells his parents: I want to go to college, even a public college. I want to work to finish my studies. His parents do everything to find money to pay for the enrollment of their son. Jose finds a part-time job to sustain his studies and help his parents.

Jose dreams of acquiring a degree in business management, of finding a good job to sustain his family, of giving back to his parents for all their hard work. He dreams of building a house for his family, and of sending his siblings to school and supporting them until they graduate. He dreams of improving their lives.

This is the story of many young people in Negros. As children of sugarcane workers, we nurture our ambitions and we continue dreaming for a better life. We don’t ever lose hope. My hard life now is my constant inspiration to achieve my dreams.

* * *

Laiza Aguas, 18, is a Grade 12 student of Riverside College Inc. in Bacolod City.