July 3, 2025
For this Palo scholar alumna, Tzu Chi became her wings to take flight
By Dorothy Castro
When Shekinah Salazar lost her father to complications from hypertension and diabetes in 2007, her family’s home was filled with unimaginable grief.
But as his death marked the beginning of her arduous journey in life, it also made her vow not only to help her family, but to one day become a source of compassion for others in need.
Today, she is making good on that promise. As a Registered Social Worker and former scholar of the Tzu Chi Foundation, she shared her story alongside fellow alumni in a talk that was part of the 2025 Tzu Chi Scholars’ Camp from June 27 to 29. Like her co-scholar alumni, who had their own stories of triumph over adversity, Salazar served as an inspiration to the 114 college scholars who attended the three-day event.
She recalled her childhood vividly: a family of five living in Palo, Leyte, sustained by the tireless efforts of their mother, a daycare teacher, and father, a resourceful cook.
Upon the death of her father, Salazar, her two brothers, and their mother moved in with her grandmother, who had stopped selling rice cakes, given her advanced age.
With just over P2,000 a month and three children still in school, her mother could barely make ends meet. In time, the lack of resources would greatly affect their lives.From eating meals made up of soy sauce, onions, and tomatoes, they eventually lost access to electricity and water, and struggled to settle mounting debt.
Like her eldest and youngest brothers, she did her best to help out. She sold desserts at her school for her and her siblings’ allowance, and used a little cart to fetch water from a faraway neighbor.
Her determination to succeed in her education did not falter. At night, after finishing her household chores, she did her homework outside, where there were lights.
On her 18th birthday, she swore to help her family rise from poverty. Surrounded by family in the darkness of their home, and before a bowl of noodles and cake, Salazar blew out candles with a new sense of determination spurred by her mother’s apologetic greeting.
“I asked myself, ‘Until when will this [suffering] last?’ I prayed to God that this is no longer the life I wanted. This is not the kind of life my family deserved,” Salazar said.
Believing that “God has a grand plan in store for me and my family,” she entered Leyte Normal University and took her Bachelor of Science in Social Work.
She sought scholarships left and right. But her course was not of priority, leaving her disheartened. Her two siblings were also about to enter college, and they needed all the support they could find.
As fate would have it, the plan she believed in was set in motion. Her mother’s friend was a daycare teacher at Tzu Chi Palo’s Temporary Housing Village. Salazar was one of the few students outside the village who were considered, and eventually granted a scholarship by the foundation.
“The hope lost within me began burning brightly once more. It was really an answered prayer,” she said. The financial aid that came with the scholarship helped her family through hunger, allowing her, for the first time since her father passed, to buy groceries.
But for her, the most valuable thing she gained was the formation Tzu Chi provided her, especially as she studied social work. The help that Tzu Chi extended to her, empowered her to share the same kindness to others. Her generosity went beyond her immediate family, reaching distant relatives and even their local church.
When Salazar graduated cum laude in 2024, Tzu Chi aided her review center costs. She passed her Social Workers Licensure Examination in September 2024.
An opportunity to work for Tzu Chi in Manila gave her a chance to serve others through her profession. Moving to the big city, she became one of the Social Welfare Officers of the foundation’s Charity Department.
Here, she helps medical beneficiaries through Tzu Chi’s Medical Assistance Program, and has been serving as a focal person for disaster response. Once a recipient of Tzu Chi’s help, she is now part of the agents of change, working alongside volunteers who serve communities.
“All of this is my everyday miracle,” said Salazar. “There is a macro effect. While Tzu Chi helps scholars, little do they know that when they uplift one person, they uplift the entire family. I am the testament to that.”
(From left) Shekinah Salazar, Johnniel Tuando, Jamil Carvajal, Jhoy Sarmiento, and Mark Vincent Dayang take turns sharing stories on the Tzu Chi scholar experience at the 2025 Tzu Chi Scholars’ Camp.
For Tzu Chi scholar alumna Shekinah Salazar, the challenges she went through serve as a purpose: to help inspire others.
At Tzu Chi Palo Temporary Housing Village’s daycare center, Shekinah Salazar spends time playing with kids.
Shekinah Salazar (first from left) helps in home visitations with fellow scholars.
Sporting the Tzu Chi volunteer vest, Shekinah Salazar (left) participates in conducting home visitations.
As a Tzu Chi scholar, Shekinah Salazar (second from left) has fond memories of attending Scholars’ Camp.
Tzu Chi Palo conducts monthly Humanity classes too. That’s Shekinah Salazar (first from left) volunteering for the event.
In 2024, Shekinah Salazar graduated cum laude from Leyte Normal University with a degree in Social Work.
Now a Registered Social Worker and a Social Welfare Officer at Tzu Chi Foundation, Shekinah Salazar (right) extends compassion to the beneficiaries she meets.
Now a Registered Social Worker and a Social Welfare Officer at Tzu Chi Foundation, Shekinah Salazar (first from right) extends compassion to the beneficiaries she meets.
As Tzu Chi’s disaster response focal person, Shekinah Salazar (in Tzu Chi volunteer vest) helps coordinate relief operations.
Recently, Shekinah Salazar’s younger brother (second from left) graduated from college, a testament to the continuous blessings after Salazar’s success.
Shekinah Salazar (first from right) with her brothers and mother at a family reunion.