I’m part of a big family from West Central Luzon in the Philippines. Both of my parents had their own families before they got married. At first, I thought having 16 siblings would make me happy, but as the years passed, I realized that my siblings on my father’s side didn’t accept us. I endured not being accepted by them, but it hurt because I didn’t understand why. Despite the family situation, I was happy and full of dreams! As a child, I dreamed of becoming a teacher — to stand in front of a classroom and share knowledge with young learners.
I remember how happy I was until I experienced bullying in elementary school. I was bullied for having a darker complexion and being very thin. They even threw rocks at me. My parents transferred me to another school, but the experience left me scared to make friends. This fear led me to make mistakes, one of which changed my life forever. It resulted in my father beating me with a stick until my back was bruised. My family just watched, and I felt utterly helpless. From that point on, I started keeping everything to myself — my feelings, my needs, everything. I pushed myself to excel in school while working to provide for my needs. Eventually, I graduated from high school.
At 15, I was determined to continue my education, holding on to my dreams and motivation. I worked as a housemaid in Pasig while studying Computer Secretarial, a vocational course that I thought would help me find a better job. Unfortunately, my elder sister asked me to stop studying and work full-time to support the family. I was torn between pursuing my dream and helping my younger siblings with their daily needs.
Could I find a job with my limited educational background? Did I have the skills and qualities companies wanted?
These questions lingered in my mind, and no one could answer them but me. I choose to support my family, even though I felt scared and neglected. I worked as a service crew member to help my two siblings with their studies and provide for their needs. My routine was to receive my salary and immediately hand it over to my family. Over time, I didn’t realize that the dream-filled, motivated version of myself was fading. Living in a faraway city, struggling to survive, I drank water to quell my hunger, asked for places to stay because I couldn’t afford rent, and walked for two hours to save money. I envied young adults who could enjoy life and pursue their dreams.
In my desperation, I began to wonder how I could develop skills and qualities to secure a better future. I applied for various jobs but faced countless rejections due to my educational background and lack of experience. The rejections and discrimination devastated me. I kept asking myself: "How can I find a job that allows me to learn while supporting my family?"
One morning, a Youth from LP4Y invited me to join their training program. I joined the Training & Development Center (TDC) in Tondo in 2018. Initially, I thought LP4Y was a school with professors and students, but on my first day, I saw a sewing machine. I doubted whether I should stay because I needed to support my family. But something about the environment — free from bullying, judgment, and discrimination — made me feel safe.
I am grateful for my face-to-face sessions with Julia, who supported me throughout the training. For the first time in years, I felt free to share what was inside me. During the training, I discovered new skills such as sewing, embroidery, selling products, teamwork, organizational skills for managing a micro-business, and improving my English. These skills helped me achieve my short-term goal: becoming a customer service associate in a BPO company. I transformed from a shy, fearful Youth afraid of judgment into a woman who could confidently express her opinions, smile genuinely, and recognize her worth in society. I developed vigorous strength in overcoming adversity and facing challenges with renewed confidence.
After completing my professional training in LP4Y, I achieved my goal and became a customer service associate at Alorica. I handled an Amazon account, ensuring customer orders were delivered and providing exceptional service. The training I received at LP4Y gave me an edge in performing my tasks. While working as a CSR, I volunteered on my days off at TDC Tondo, sharing my knowledge about the role. Although I was happy, I wanted to pursue something more meaningful. After two years, I decided to resign and applied to join LP4Y as part of the movement to fight for Youth inclusion.
At first, I thought being a Catalyst would be easy, but I was wrong! This role requires a genuine eagerness to empower young people, the ability to think quickly and find urgent solutions, and the dedication to accompany Youths throughout their training journey, helping them identify their life projects and guiding them toward integration into society. I served as a Coach at TDC Tondo for two years, an experience that truly changed my life. While accompanying the Youths, I often reflected on my own journey. Through one-on-one sessions, I provided guidance to help them discover their skills and qualities, and I shared my own testimony to inspire them.
What I loved most about my mission as a Coach was visiting the families of the Youths and learning about their daily lives. These moments allowed me to understand their challenges and aspirations, making my role even more meaningful.
However, I believed that as a Catalyst, I needed to challenge myself further by accepting a new role: becoming a Green Village Leader. My biggest challenge was figuring out how to be a good leader. What if I couldn’t do the job properly? What if I wasn’t fit for this role? I began to question my capabilities again, but I was brave enough to face these new challenges.
In this position, I am responsible for ensuring that the center operates efficiently. This includes supporting the Coaches in implementing the pedagogy, ensuring the safety of the Catalysts and Youths, managing the workers responsible for the center's maintenance and repairs, being solution-oriented in any situation, handling financial responsibilities, and developing strategies for the center’s improvement.
I am extremely excited about the new opportunities and the chance to work in a green environment. I started this role in February 2024 and have been discovering more about myself. For example, I’ve started painting to pass the time, exercising to boost my immune system, and creating concrete plans for my future.
This incredible journey comes with struggles and challenges. However, being part of this organization since I was a Youth has allowed me to discover who I am, empower myself and others, express my feelings openly, and most importantly, share my opinions because they matter.
I am proud of myself for accompanying excluded Youths in the program, but I am genuinely happy to have empowered my family to stand on their own. I was able to support my two younger siblings through senior high school until they found their first jobs. Since 2023, they have been helping me build our concrete house in the province, which is almost finished. They also support me financially, which has allowed me to save and think more about my future.
I am Sherlyn Caasi, an excluded Youth from Tondo Manila, the Philippines who believes that being a Catalyst means believing that an empowered Youth will, in turn, drive positive change.
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