Hello, my name is Salsa. I used to be called Salsa or Zetta. I studied at LSPR (London School of Public Relations), majoring in Communication science. I major in Communication because I enjoy communicating with others and I like public speaking. I live at the Hati Suci shelter. I live in the shelter since I was in Kindergarten until now. I really like living in the shelter, I love to call it home, because, indeed, the Hati Suci shelter is a place of refuge, especially for girls. Living here is very nice because we are treated like family.

I live in the Hati Suci shelter because I was abandoned by my father when I was two years old and my mother died when I was in the 4th grade. My mother was a great woman who took care of me by herself without any help from my father. My mother had been both father and mother to me. It was not an easy role, but she was capable of carrying it out strongly.

Besides living in the shelter, sometimes I live with my grandma, she takes care of me by taking my mom’s role. I am very grateful because I am surrounded by great and strong women in my life. Sometimes there are things we need to be grateful for in our lives.

Finally, I got a Heliconia Scholarship and it was always my first dream to continue my studies to a higher level, I really want to go to college. My second dream was to get a scholarship. By getting a scholarship from Heliconia I can learn many lessons, I can learn how to be responsible for my study and take this scholarship seriously.

My commitment after college is that I want to graduate on time and I will immediately look for a job so that I can live independently, so the Hati Suci and Heliconia will be proud of me. And most of all, my grandmother, the woman who I really love, I really want to make her proud.

Many thanks to Heliconia because I am able to continue my study, and indirectly, Heliconia has realized my grandma’s dream that I should go to college. 

Sincerely, Salsa

Salsa’s first progress report will follow soon!