From failing grade1 to dreaming the life of a businessman and a PMAer:Kleiu Mangaoang,12


Few underpriveleged kids have survived the seemingly cursing plight of living in backbreaking poverty.Its either that they will continue living under the dark pall of hopelessness,passing it off to the generation after them or they will decide to dream living on a higher plane to becoming overcomers..
Kleiu Mangaoang ,now12,definitely  belongs to the second league.No, he hasn't earned any stars yet,but he has decided to go west.During a life coaching session with Goshen Land Caring Hands,he presented a vision board totally opposed to his state in life now. He dreams of building skyscrapers,patrolling like a good soldier ,working abroad,providing a house of their own for their family,and having a united, loving family and now going for a line of nine average grade in school.



In grade 1, he failed most of his subjects because he spent most of his daytime in computer shops,not inside his classroom in school.He
was borne out of wedlock as his father had a family before them.
But football reached out to him like no other. He was found by grassroots football coach Gatan Dalang playing with other kids when he was looking for a goalkeeper replacement for the city's football team delegation to the upcoming regional CARAA meet held early this year.But Kleiu was saddled by a lot of issues including failing grades and addiction to online gaming.On top of these, he also helps his mother sell barbecue near a jeepney stand until eleven o'clock in the evening,when most kids his age have already been tucked to bed at night.
"I didn't see any talent for goalkeeping in him but he made up for it by coming early to training,"his coach said.  By then he only had one month to learn goalkeeping and to straighten up his grades .Through positive coaching,he slowly veered away from spending time in computer shops and his grades slowly picked up. But still his tiredness from working at night at his mother's barbecue stand caused him to lose focus during training. "Paulit-ulit instruction ko,as if he can't absorb what I'm talking about,"his coach added. "But he makes up for it because of his dedication,"Dalang said. "So he became part of my team",his coach said.
Even with a short training time, Kleiu was able to garner an award for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in a football tournament. He is now one of Goshenland's grassroots football scholars.