Written by:
Melissa Villa, Project Pearls Founder and Executive Director
“Sometimes our lives have to be completely shaken up, changed, and rearranged to relocate us to the place we are meant to be.”
As you all may know, Project PEARLS started as a mother and daughter project with my one and only, Francesca back in 2008 helping one single mom with two daughters. And in 2010, we were in introduced to the slum community of Ulingan at Tondo, Manila and as they say, the rest is history. The mother-daughter project is now an international non-profit organization.
Photos by Sidney Snoeck
In 2013, I quit my full-time job at St. Luke’s Church in San Francisco as having two full-time jobs in two different countries in different time zones, took a toll on my health, my marriage, my family, my jobs and my life in general. We became a one-income family. We downsized, moved and made lots of personal sacrifices. But with these material sacrifices, we gained a whole lot more than money can buy. And we are very blessed and very grateful.
For 7 years in this Project PEARLS journey, I trusted my faith and fate.
Photo by Sidney Snoeck
#SeoulSearching
This July, my husband and I are moving to Seoul, South Korea.
He accepted a job as a CFO for Seoul Foreign School. And once again, our family has to make lots of personal sacrifices but this time, it’s not financial but emotional. We will be thousands of miles away from our children and grandchildren here in San Francisco Bay Area. But I will be closer to Manila; closer to our Project PEARLS mission and communities.
My daughter and co-founder, Francesca will be managing our US operations and she will be supported by our Board of Directors and Advisory Council. https://www.projectpearls.org/
Francesca and I at the slums of Helping Land in Tondo, Manila.
The best for our PEARLS children and communities and for Project PEARLS is yet to come! And we thank you all for the continued support and generosity.
Please follow us on Facebook: www.projectpearls.org/
On Instagram and Twitter: @projectpearls
And please check our various programs, updates and continuous PEARLS journey on our website: www.projectpearls.org
Thank you.
Maraming Salamat.
Kansamnida.
