PSHF

A drug crazed man almost destroyed the future of a happy family. One tragic day in February 2014, a drug addict barged inside the house of the Ramirez family. It was around 10 in the evening, Julie and daughter Ann were in the living room. The addict started stabbing Julie for no apparent reason and then fled. Lying in his own pool of blood, the victim was lifeless. Beside him was Ann, shocked and terrified. Concerned neighbors came and brought Julie to the hospital. Miraculously, Julie survived but the incident affected the entire family in the months to come.

Julie (42) is married to Nenita (37) and they have four children: John Paulo (18) is in his second year of high school, Julius (16) attends an Alternative Learning School, Ann (13) is in grade seven, and the youngest Kenneth is a bubbly six month old baby.

The couple used to have a small bakery. Julie was the master baker and did almost all the baking whereas Nenita helped in the packing of their finished products. They had a number of ‘suki’ regular customers who bought their finished products. Julie would deliver some of the products to sari-sari shops around the village on his motorcycle. The business went well until the stabbing incident happened.

For two weeks, Julie was hospitalized and all the bakery capital was used up. For two months, Julie stayed at home to recuperate. In the third month, Julie found a job, also as a baker in Bata which is a 45-minute jeepney ride from home. He works six days a week and goes home only on Sundays to his family in Handumanan.

Julie and his wife Nenita are very keen to revive their bakery and have applied for a loan from the PSHF to enable them to do so. The loan will be used to buy baking ingredients and other paraphernalia needed, and to have Julie’s motorcycle repaired. Everybody in the family is excited to see their father baking again, and start earning for the family. With this becoming a reality, the Ramirez family will once more enjoy being together again.

Ignatius Mesias

PSHF Bacolod

July 2014