Growing up, Lizlit’s family was often struggling financially.
“This too shall pass, but while it lasts, do [the right thing],” the petite and sensitive Lizlit would often tell herself.
They were informal settlers in an area; in the local lingo, they were “squatters.”
The death of her mother was one of the reasons why her father had to work even harder to support them.
A little extra goes a long way
But with ANCOP’s help, Lizlit’s father was able to take a break from the daily hustle and spend more time with them, which also boosted the family emotionally.
Through ANCOP’s Educational Sponsorship Program, she was able to get financial support for her studies.
Whatever extra funds remained would help meet the family’s other daily needs.
“Find ways to grow from a situation, whether it’s about winning or losing. And waiting is a beautiful process, it molds you towards your desires, so it makes [waiting] worthwhile,” Lizlit adds as she recalls her family’s struggles.
An ANCOP scholar alumna, Lizlit Cabag is now in Europe to pursue her master’s degree in Environmental Contamination and Toxicology.
The documentary that changed it all
When she was in college, she watched a documentary that pushed her to aim higher and be better in her future profession.
It was a documentary by Leonardo Dicaprio, titled “Before the flood”, that showed a bird’s eyeview of the economic, social, and environmental issues the world faces today.
Being a CFC Youth for Christ member, the film reminded her of one of YFC’s advocacies, “Greeneration”, now “G-Project”, which raises awareness about how God’s children are the main stewards of creation.
After her professor told her about available scholarships and specialized masters in Europe, Lizlit couldn’t stop thinking about applying.
She did and bagged a DOST foreign graduate scholarship and a mobility grant from Erasmus Mundus.
Having gone so far, she continues to remember her ANCOP donors’ generosity.
Halfway around the world, Lizlit wishes to tell them: “May God always shower you and your families with graces. Thank you for being a channel of love to us. Your little ways of helping us changed my life and inspired me to do better and be better…I hope you will continue to answer the call of accountability to our brothers and sisters, as our act of love.”