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The COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for many and it has affected us in different ways. For parents, it’s struggling to provide for their children’s educational needs — as classes shift to online learning, not all are capable of buying the necessary equipment for this new setup.
But as we’ve witnessed in SmartParenting.com.ph over and over again, parents will do anything for their children. For Rommel “Lemur” Enriquez, a father of four, it was bartering his precious chickens in exchange for a smartphone that his school-aged kids can use.
“Dati po akong nagtitinda ng prutas before mag-lockdown. Natigil po kasi mahina na ‘yung bentahan,” he shares in a video interview with Summit Media. “Hindi na po kami nakabayad ng renta kaya po nagsara na ‘yung tindahan.”
Desperate, and with a limited source of livelihood, Lemur turned to social media. He posted a callout on his Facebook account, saying that he was willing to give up his chickens in exchange for a mobile phone for his children’s online classes.
“Naisipan ko mag-barter, nag-try ako kasi kailangan talaga ng mga bata ‘yung gadget. Wala naman akong ibang mahanap dito sa amin na ibabarter ko ‘kundi ‘yung mga manok ko,” he says.
Lemur would have been satisfied with a secondhand smartphone, but something extraordinary happened: Netizens were moved by his post and a flood of donations came in. “Ang inaasahan ko lang po, na sana merong magkagusto sa mga manok para kapalit nung kahit isa lang na secondhand na cellphone. ‘Yun lang po ang hinihingi ko na kapalit. Wala na pong iba,” the father says.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWHe adds, “Nung dumating po ‘yung unang gadget na nagbigay, doon po sa meet-up namin, doon po ako napaiyak e. Hindi ko po akalain na puwede palang mangyari ‘yun. Brand new pa po ‘yung binigay tapos hindi na po siya humingi ng kapalit. Lahat po sila na nagbigay, hindi na po sila humingi ng kapalit.”
Watch his story below and let your faith in humanity be restored:
Teachers are also willing to go the extra mile for their students! Click here to read how teachers bartered plants in exchange for school supplies for their students.
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