As the Covid-19 spread, the implementation of worldwide school closure affects everyone for various reasons. It can be a blessing in disguise for others, and a big disadvantage for some. For students like me who take online classes, it can be both an advantage and disadvantage.
Honestly, when the school closure was implemented last year, I will admit that I was somewhat happy since it was new to me and I think of it as a little break from school. I know I am not the only one who thinks this way. Something like this had never happened before so I felt like I was opening a new door. I am also a little bit excited about the online classes and how it feels to be in an online class. I want to know and I want to see if it is also fun.
And when the online classes finally started, everything seemed new and I felt like I was exposed to the things that I had never encountered before. At first it was fun, I never thought that studying could be that easy and relaxing. However, weeks after when the community lockdown becomes stricter and some workplaces are forced to close because of the rising cases of virus infection. People were hungry and couldn’t work.
I became uncomfortable asking my mother for money because we’re running out of food also. I am only using mobile data so it became difficult for me to ask for money just so I could attend the class. I’ve also seen some posts on social media telling that they would better drop out of school for some financial reason and that they couldn't join online classes anymore. At some point, I realized that we aren’t learning anything anyway since teachers only send us the modules without explanations, and if there would be a ‘meet’ only 40% of the students could join since most of my classmates are living in hinterlands where signals are weak and other don’t have the internet connection to join.
I was really bothered back then. I am concerned in my own situation and as well concerned in my classmates. With the thought that one of my classmates would stop attending school, it makes me sad and more paranoid, since I am already paranoid when there is an online class that I’d miss if I don’t have an internet connection. I didn’t like to be absent when classes were still normal before because I feel like I was already left behind, so as much as possible I would try my very hardest to never be absent. But online classes are different, you can’t just force yourself to buy an internet connection even if you don’t have money.
Just when I thought I couldn’t get any misfortune, my phone broke and my grandmother got hospitalized. I keep everything from my mother just so I couldn’t add to the burden she is carrying. Those moments were the toughest for us. And when a friend of mine introduced Read.cash, I never thought that it could actually change me.
Honestly, I never believed in anything on the internet before because I thought all of those are scam. I’ve already heard about read.cash before, even before the spread of the pandemic, but I choose to ignore it since I thought it’s a scam. And way back those times, I never expected that time would come and I would rely on something on the internet just to survive. And I’m just glad I did.
Bitcoin is something new to me. I didn't really understand it at first and found it hard to understand but as I explored the net, I realized that the world on the web could be as broad as or even broader than the outside world and there are also many opportunities there.
So, how did BCH actually help me? Well, the world of crypto helped me in more ways than I could’ve imagined.
Mobile Load
One thing that I would be forever thankful to BCH is that it funds my weekly mobile load. I spent about a hundred pesos per week for my classes in one and a half semesters since I met BCH. And I am more than thankful for just that. It actually gives me a piece of mind knowing that I can now provide for my own mobile load without asking money from my mother.
And sometimes, if one of my classmates or friends needed a mobile load, I can share it with them without asking anything in return because I myself know how frustrating it is to couldn’t access your messenger or hear some information and announcements in your online classroom.
School Projects and Requirements
Providing for my own projects and requirements is something I didn’t really expect. Having a mobile load every week is already enough for me but I didn’t expect that I would also be able to sustain my own school projects and requirements without asking my mother for even a single peso.
Last semester’s semi-final, our instructor in TLE told us to do some sewing and cooking based on the lessons in our module. It will be filmed and supposed to pass in our Google Classroom. And it happened to be on my birthday so I just decided to cook on that day. I never expected anything on my birthday since I understand our situation so I cash-out enough from my Coins.ph to buy ingredients for my TLE requirements.
I just published an article here on read.cash that time so I was able to provide money for my requirements. I made a tomato and cucumber salad for the appetizer, I fried and boiled some eggs, I cooked sweet and sour chicken adobo as my favorite dish, and I made a steamed chocolate cake. I’m not a good cook so I just took some time filming myself cooking but in the end my mother cooked it all. And in the end, those requirements became the food for my birthday.
I rely so much on BCH when it comes to school projects and requirements. There are times when my earnings on read.cash aren't enough to pay for my requirements, especially when some of our instructors were starting to ask for a teaching demonstration which requires so much money. So, aside from read.cash I tried to find some legit sites that will also help me in my expenses. Well, I did find some and even if it is mostly pennies it did actually help. A lot.
I also tried my luck in finding opportunities on some scholarships and student’s assistance but all of my efforts were just wasted. However, I am still thankful that I found opportunities online but even then, I haven’t pushed my luck to something like online trading or crypto trading since I am still new to these. I rather take my own pace.
E-load Business
I also made some of my extra earnings into an e-load business, but only if I had an extra because it is not every time that the sun will shine in your earnings. The money that I gained through this goes to my piggy bank and sometimes this is where I get money for transportation if we have some school activities like group work and everything that is needed to be discussed with your classmates personally.
Also, during our second semester, our instructor in TLE 2 told us to do some food preservation such as wine, jam, and kimchi. It was a group activity and this will also serve as our final requirement. The money that I used in these are my earnings from my e-load business. I felt so proud of myself because even once, since I met BCH, I never asked for money from my mother.
Electricity and Water Bills
Meanwhile, I sometimes pay for our electricity and water bills. Unlike my brother, I always took the initiative to pay for the bills if I have some extra. It doesn’t even matter to me if I can't buy the things that I like as long as I can provide for my family even in my little way.
Groceries
Aside from electricity and water bills, I sometimes buy groceries for us. Though it’s just a little and could only last for 2 or 3 days, at least I could help my parents not to worry about food for those days. I could still help feed my family in my own little way. I may not be the breadwinner but it doesn’t mean that I would just sit, wait, and do nothing even though I know in myself that I can help.
Grandmother’s Medicines
The reason why I couldn’t ask my mother anything and would just quietly find a way to earn on my own is because my mother shoulder many burdens already. My father’s earning isn’t enough for us so my mother also finds a way to earn. She’s also helping my uncles who don't have decent jobs. She's the one who buys my grandmother’s medicines, and whenever she buys food for our house she would also buy food for my grandmother’s house. She already had so much on her plate so sometimes I would save money to buy my grandmother’s medicines.
Treats for Mother
One reason why I was very thankful to BCH is that I could treat my mother in a little way. It’s not always but whenever I earn more, I always make sure to at least buy her something such as clothes or food.
Last January, at my cousin’s wedding, my mother told me that she might not be able to go because she doesn’t have anything to wear. It was still a week before the wedding so I decided to find a way. I published an article here on read.cash but unfortunately and for some reason, I didn’t receive any tips. So, I tried to work on some legit faucets but my earnings aren’t enough to at least buy her a dress. Three days after, I started receiving tips again from the previous article that I published. And two days before the wedding, I brought my mother to the mall. She was so surprised when I told her to choose a dress because I will buy it for her and even refused but I insisted. It was very priceless seeing how happy she was at that time.
I couldn’t be that much of help since I am still a student but whenever I get an opportunity to help my family, I’ll gladly would. I grew up seeing my selfless mother prioritize us over herself, and maybe I took after her because I would rather buy something for my family than my whims. And I’m just glad that I met BCH, because it helped me not just in my school expenses but also in our house expenses, and I know other people too.
If BCH is a human, I would really find him/her and give him/her bear hugs and thousands of kisses as my sign of gratitude. Through BCH, someone’s life and perspectives in life could actually change. A good change.
