Johanna is just five years old when she starts nursery at the Papaya School. She lives in Payatas with her parents, her 20-year-old sister Jocelle and her 9-year-old brother JM. Johanna’s mother’s income is the family’s sole source of income. She earns this in a small shop where she is paid well below the minimum wage. As a result, there are often days when there isn’t enough money to put a (full) meal on the table, let alone cover “extras” such as medical costs or the rent.
At the moment, the family are living in a relative’s house almost rent-free, but they will soon have to leave this little house. In order to be able to rent somewhere, the family are considering asking Jocelle to give up her studies. If she also starts working full-time, the family hopes to be able to pay the rent and part of the medical costs for their sick little brother. However, this extra income will certainly not be enough to cover the latter.
Miss Katherine: “Although Johanna is small in stature, she has a big personality; she is cheerful, energetic and really enjoys playing, dancing and singing with her classmates. Every day in my class, we start with a ‘morning dance’, and Johanna dances for two. It’s lovely to see. There are moments when we can see the worry on her little face, but we also see that she is strong and – despite her young age – does everything she can to join in and give it her all.”.
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