How a girl begging on the street suddenly became a model (9 photos)

Looking at 13-year-old Rita Gaviola from the Philippines, it's hard to believe that just three years ago she was begging on the street so her brothers and sisters could eat. Since then, the schoolgirl has appeared in several reality shows, worked with some of the world's largest brands, and amassed an Instagram following of over 100,000.

But none of this would have happened without one chance photo. Read below to learn about this girl's truly amazing story.





Rita Gaviola's incredible story began in 2016. Back then, she was begging on the streets of Lucban to help support her family. Her father worked as a garbage collector, and her mother stayed home to care for Rita and her five siblings.



None of the children attended school at the time, but even so, the family struggled to make ends meet. So Rita often went out into the street to beg kind strangers for money to survive.





One day, she was spotted by a Filipino photographer. He noticed Rita's natural beauty and decided to capture it in a photo. The photographer posted the photo online, unaware how he would change the girl's life with just one click of the "upload" button.



The photo of the 13-year-old beggar went viral almost immediately. Users admired Gaviola's appearance, her pure and innocent natural beauty. Online, she earned the nickname "Badjao Girl" due to her ethnicity. The photo soon reached Filipino models, who made every effort to help the girl escape poverty.



Local beauty queens posted photos of Rita on their pages until she caught the attention of modeling agencies. Thus, the schoolgirl landed her first contracts, several small roles in television series, and became the youngest contestant on the popular reality show Big Brother.



The buzz surrounding Badjao Girl has made Rita popular on social media. Her Instagram account currently has over 100,000 followers.



Many fans from abroad have provided her with financial support. For example, in 2018, Rita Gaviola uploaded a video to YouTube showing off her family's new home and thanking a dedicated American fan named Grace Kreutzer for funding its construction.



Despite the fact that Rita Gaviola's profile has become less prominent in the past couple of years, she remains popular on Filipino social media. She continues to model, but only in her spare time. Currently, Rita is pursuing her education.



This story is perfect proof that fairy tales like Cinderella can sometimes happen in real life. Another remarkable example is the success story of a 21-year-old Australian, who was homeless just a few years ago and is now one of the country's richest young entrepreneurs.