Metamorphosing Youths’ lives … Worldwide!

I was kicked out. I lived on the streets for three months when I was 15, and I had to make choices I regret. My actions caught up with me, and I ended up in prison. I was completely lost. Despite everything, a small flame of hope remained within me, and that’s when I met ACAY. One day, a young man from the Philippines shared his story with me, and it had a profound impact on me. I realized that change was possible. Today, I have a stable life. I’ve gotten my driver’s license, my diplomas, a job, and a place to live. I’ve become an ambassador for ACAY, the organization that gave me back my hope and offered me the chance to, in return, give hope to others.

It really helped me because I was able to share everything I’d been keeping inside with ACAY. I enjoyed discovering the Philippines; we watched videos of people in need, and it made me want to help them—it was very moving.

What moved me was seeing a young person just like us—an ACAY ambassador—who fought to get ahead despite the challenges. What I’ve taken away from this is to persevere and never give up. […] We don’t show it, but it helps us to know that someone is listening.

My childhood wasn’t easy—my dad had passed away, and my mum abandoned us—my two little brothers and me. My dream back then was to eat three meals a day. I was taught to beg. One day, a street educator took me to a government center. There, I was able to re-enter the school system. After three years in that center, I was welcomed into the School of Life. There, in addition to my studies, I found a family. My life changed. My wounds—which I had kept well hidden until then and which remained unhealed—came to the surface. I learned to face them, to understand, and to stop destroying myself from the inside and instead build my future. Every week, I learnt something new. I rebuilt myself, and as I reintegrated into society, I told myself, “Go for it—you’re ready.”

I was sold by my mother at birth. I was valued at 10,000 pesos. Years of violence, relentless beatings, and ultimately abuse followed. A neighbor finally found the courage to help me, and I was rescued. I spent eight years in a shelter before joining the School of Life. The culture shock was intense. ACAY was introducing the Metamorpho.sYs method. We were learning to assess ourselves. I took control of my life. The “From Closedness to Openness” indicator made me realize the importance of daring to bring to the surface the suffering I had buried deep inside me. It was a long and painful journey, but today I feel free. I was able to meet with my abuser again and express to him all that I had suffered. My suffering has become a mission: I now help young people develop the confidence that their lives do not end with their past. A true metamorphosis is possible.

I was what they call a “Siga”, a gang leader. There was no room for fear; I had to be the strongest, the best. My folks were poor. My dad was a soldier who’d deserted and become a tricycle driver. We had about ten mouths to feed every day. I ended up in detention. The years I spent in detention centers allowed me to earn my high school diploma. Unable to continue my education, I fell back into a life of violence. I almost ended up in adult prison, but my judge asked ACAY to take me in. So I spent two years in ACAY and became an electrician. Today, I’m a father, I have a career, and I stay in touch with ACAY whenever they need a helping hand.

I am the youngest of five children. My parents make a living fishing in the province. When I was 8, I started working. I sold fish and fruit to help the family earn a little extra money. When I was 11, I came to Manila to join my mother, who had left us. We both ended up on the streets, sleeping in abandoned jeepneys. I persevered to continue my studies anyway and worked on the side to survive. One day, a friend invited me to a party that ended in alcohol and drugs. That landed me in prison. There were 60 of us in each cell. But in the midst of that chaos, I discovered God. He is the one who gave me new hope. A friend then introduced me to ACAY. There I found a family, a place where I could make sense of everything I’d been through, and thanks to a Roadmap and coaching from the ACAY teams, I was able to chart a course for my life, which had lost its direction. Today, I’m about to graduate with a four-year degree in criminology and will be joining the police force.