John Lea has graduated!

John Lea’s family lives in Amlan, a small region about thirty kilometres north of Dumaguete on Negros Island in the Philippines. Their home is a small wooden house, and the ground is made out of clay. They pay around 110 pesos per month for water and electricity, which is around £2.  

John Lea is the youngest child, and she lives with her mother, her sister and her two-year-old son, and her brother-in-law. The family doesn’t own any land, just a couple of chickens but they take care of their neighbour’s cows and goats. Her mother doesn’t work, she takes care of the home and family. Her father is a fisherman around Dumaguete, during the week he stays with his cousin and comes home for the weekends. He makes 300 to 600 pesos per week (around 5 to 11 pounds), or 2400 pesos per month (£45). Her sister is a single mother to two-year-old Prince Keith, and her stepbrother is a motorcycle repairman in Amlan. He makes around 4000 pesos per month (£80) but doesn’t contribute any of it to the family. 

John Lea finished secondary school in March 2014, after which she completed a three-month training in computer science. Then in November 2015, she started working as a salesperson in a shopping centre in Dumaguete, where she was making 5600 pesos (£106) per month. 

John Lea knew that in order to have a good career ahead of her she needed a diploma, which is why when Children of the Mekong offered her the opportunity to be sponsored and study in the Children of the Mekong centre in Dumaguete, she was so motivated to accept! 

This cheerful and sweet young woman was so happy to be back in school and now more determined than ever to succeed. As she is very good with numbers, she chose a four-year course in management and business administration with a specialisation in finance management.