Catherine’s Story: A Life Transformed
From heartbreak to hope—how one young girl’s life changed through education and love.
Catherine was just ten years old when her world shattered. Living in a rural province of the Philippines, she witnessed the unimaginable: her father was murdered in front of her and her siblings. The trauma was devastating. Not long after, her mother became seriously mentally ill. With no welfare system or mental health services to support them, Catherine, as the eldest, tried to care for her younger sisters. But their fragile family quickly unravelled.
Hope came in the form of Mango Tree House, a safe residential home run by the local charity ASCF and supported by Children of the Dump in the UK. The sisters were taken into care, where they found not only refuge but a new sense of family.
Catherine recalls the pain of losing her parents—but also the joy of gaining a new community filled with many mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters. Mango Tree House became a place of healing. With Jesus at the centre of its values, the children led daily devotions, supported one another, and rebuilt their lives. It was here that Catherine, along with her sisters Myrna and Mercy, began to dream again.
Education became Catherine’s guiding light—a path she hoped would allow her to one day support her family and bring them back together. That dream was nurtured not only by her teachers but by her UK sponsor, someone she had never met, but whose letters brought love, encouragement, and belief across the miles.
Catherine describes her sponsor as “the wind beneath my wings.” Their support didn’t just pay for school fees; it gave her hope, confidence, and the chance to speak in UK churches about how Children of the Dump had transformed her life.
Fast-forward fifteen years, and Catherine is now a graduate with a Bachelor of Education. At just 21, she returned to where it all began—becoming Headmistress of Cashew Tree School, located near the dumpsite in Payatas. In a community where many children grow up scavenging for survival and school is often out of reach, Catherine is determined to offer a different future.
“These children rarely believe they can succeed,” she says. “It’s a humbling experience to help little children just to have a dream.”
Her younger sister Myrna is now a qualified Social Worker, helping families through government services in Manila.
Mercy has recently graduated from high school and is preparing for university.
But perhaps the most powerful chapter in their story is this: thanks to their education and support, the sisters have been able to ensure their mother receives proper mental health treatment. Today, they are reunited—a family restored, resilient, and thriving.
Catherine’s story is not just one of survival—it’s a shining example of transformation. Through compassion, education, and unwavering support, a once-broken family has been given a new beginning.
Watch Catherine tell her story: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE9ho7wQ01s