More Filipino children should be given opportunities to finish their studies to uplift the lives not only of their families but also their communities, said Miss World Philippines (MWP) Negros Occidental Gwendolyne Bolivar Fourniol.
Gwen, as she is fondly called, is an example of the power of education to change lives. Her mother, Sim Bolivar, was a former beneficiary of the Educational Research and Development Assistance (ERDA) Foundation which sends underprivileged children to school.
Her mother grew up in poverty in Kabankalan, Negros Occidental. There were seven children in the family and only one sibling was given the opportunity to study.
Losing hope for her future, she found her way to Manila to stay with a cousin and it was there that she met Fr. Pierre Tritz, SJ, who founded ERDA in 1974 to give underprivileged but deserving children the opportunity to study.
With Tritz’s support, Sim obtained a degree in psychology from a Manila university, and was able to work as a foreign household helper for a family in Luxembourg.
Gwen is using her platform to support ERDA and is calling for equality in education rights.
“My mother, because of the opportunity that was opened to her by the ERDA Foundation, was able to send her six siblings to school. This says so much about the power of women to uplift their families out of poverty. We should push equal rights for education regardless of gender,” she said.
“I want to reach out to humanity and continue the legacy of Fr. Tritz,” Gwen said. “If one person can transform 800,000 lives in this country, imagine what so many people can do to help millions more in the Philippines and around the world.”
Gwen recalled that in her first stint, they called her a baby of pageantry.
“I didn’t know how to style myself and I didn’t know how to do makeup. Now, with the support of ProMedia, I feel more confident,” she noted.
Paul Izon Reyes, ProMedia chief executive officer, said the project management group sees the true beauty in Gwen, who has a striking face, inner strength, wit, confidence, and is also passionate about her advocacy.
