A lost wallet leads to finding something even better

By  LPJ

Jhon Michael is 14 years old, a drop-out from the 10th grade in Naga City, Philippines. His frequent absences were due to embarrassment that he couldn’t afford to buy lunch at school, or bring food to feed himself in the middle of the day so he could muster energy for the afternoon’s classes. Hunger, embarrassment, shame led to his dropping out of the public school.

Meeting Jhon Michael was an act of God from a random incident. My nephew, Chito Pandes, thought he lost his wallet on the plane or at the airport near Naga. His usual generosity made him offer to pay a full and sumptuous dinner for 10 at the Crown Hotel restaurant. Reaching into his small backpack for his wallet, he was shocked to realize it wasn’t there. He whispered to his wife Benita to pay the bill instead, for his wallet was missing. No problem, Benita said, the expected response of a kind lady as generous as her husband.

But in Chito’s mind, plans were broiling for what to do about the missing wallet.

Chito’s group with Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo at the City Hall

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