“Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune, but great minds rise above them.”
An eight-year-old homeless girl from the Philippines became a living testament of Washington Irving’s words. Her diligence in trying to do her homework despite the continuous heavy downpour of the monsoon rain was captured on video and touched thousands of hearts online.
The admirable dedication of the homeless girl named Elaine Dolfo, earned the respect and admiration of people, not only from the Philippines but all over the world as well. Elaine was spotted eagerly doing her homework, huddling underneath an old coat, seeking warmth from the cold weather brought by the heavy rain.
In the video, her sister and her mother can be seen sleeping on old cardboards next to an establishment. This little spot is what serves as Elaine and her family’s home after they were evicted from the apartment they used to rent. According to the young child, her father, Jerry is a tricycle driver. Unfortunately, the hardworking father became sick and was unable to support the family.
When the passerby who witnessed the young girl’s dedication to her studies asked about her actions, Elaine replied with a clear answer. The homeless girl explained that she wants to maintain her academic honor, finish her studies so she can become a teacher, and support her family. For a young girl, Elaine sure has a clear goal that she wants to achieve.
Moved by the young girl’s strong commitment to her dreams, Rolando Villanueva shared Elaine’s video on his Facebook account. Along with Elaine’s video was a brief but meaningful caption, “I wish all students are as hardworking and dedicated as you are in their studies. To all students out there, I hope you won’t take your privileges for granted.”
Rolando’s Facebook post became viral and was shared over 41,000 times, touching the hearts of Facebook users all over the world. In fact, a university student in the USA named Marlene Garcia, who had seen Rolando’s video of the dedicated young girl, set-up a GoFundMe page to help Elaine and her family.
The GoFundMe page aims to help Elaine and her family by providing an apartment for the family, as well as funding a scholarship for Elaine and her 3-year-old sister, and buying a secondhand tricycle as a means for the family to generate an income.
Marlene Garcia was not the only one who wants to help Elaine and her family. A lot of people from different countries have inquired about how they will be able to help the young homeless girl. In fact, in only a span of nine days after the GoFundMe page was set-up, Marlene has raised over $7,000 from the goodwill of 252 people.
Although Marlene’s goal of garnering $20,000 for Elaine has not yet been reached, the money she has garnered is enough to find a temporary home for Elaine and her family. Just recently, the hardworking family has moved to a new apartment. Due to the help extended by hundreds of people, the family can now sleep under a safe and warm roof!
“Thank you! We have moved to a new home. Thank you to everyone who helped us.” Elaine’s mother, Elenita, said with a grateful heart.
“I promise that I will continue the dedication I have shown in my studies, and will even study harder.” Elaine said, sealing her promise to those who helped her with a big smile on her face.
Elaine’s crowdfunding page is still trending and still open for donations. If you want to extend help to the inspiring young girl, you can access her GoFundMe page set-up by Marlene here.
It is incredibly amazing how Elaine’s story is not only about a young homeless girl anymore. Now it is also about the hundreds of strange people all over the world who became united in the goal of helping another human being experiencing an unfortunate situation. Indeed, Elaine’s story is truly inspiring!
Watch the moving video of Elaine below, and witness the strong dedication and commitment the young girl has to her dreams!
Photo and Video | Rolando Villanueva and Marlene Garcia