a fundraiser for an anonymous Filipino Immigrant brother and sister living in Malaysia
Kayla's Story:
"I am not a permanent resident in Malaysia. In order to live here with peace of mind, I've visited immigration offices annually, going through hours and hours of paperwork and interviews. My family has sent in numerous applications over the years, all to amount to nothing. Growing up, my brother Jason and I went to public school and did our best but when it came time for college, my single, Filipina, immigrant mother could not afford to pay.
I've spent my whole life in Malaysia but I still don't feel like I belong here. At an education fair, I got excited because I thought maybe I could apply for scholarships to study Psychology. But I was told that since I do not have an IC or status in this country, I am not eligible to receive any help.
Living life this way, I found it hard to believe in myself and to believe I was worthy of help. With the pandemic, things took a turn for the worst in our household...
Because of the pandemic, our single mother has lost her job and as of today, we are behind on rent by 4 months. The thought of this has brought me constant stress and anxiety and I often wonder if life could ever be different?
My brother and I work in a kindergarten but can only do so much as neither of us have degrees. My brother and I have carried our dreams despite all we've endured over the years. He dreams of being a marketing and advertising specialist for a big company some day and I dream of helping children with early childhood trauma or mental health difficulties. My heart longs to see children heal and find peaceful resolve from their early troubling life experiences.
With any help we receive, it'll help relieve the stress we live in day-by-day and also fuel our dreams to become a reality. Amidst these tough times, we hold on, we get back up when life kicks us down and we look to God for hope. Thank you for reading and for supporting our cause. We are eternally grateful."
(names changed)