( CNN ) -- Jessa Balote is 14-years-old and training to be a professional ballerina in Manila . It is a task that takes enormous amounts of dedication for even the most determined of young women , but Balote 's challenge is nothing compared to life outside the dance studio where she has to support her entire family . `` I 'm the only one they expect to bring the family out of poverty , '' she says . Balote is one of 54 students enrolled in `` Project Ballet Futures , '' a program run by Ballet Manila to provide free ballet training to children from some of the city 's most deprived neighborhoods . Balote lives in Tondo , a slum built next to a major waste dump in Manila . Her parents make what little money they have by selling trash . If Balote was not involved in the dance program , she says she would n't be able to eat everyday . `` They want to earn money to be able to survive , '' says Lisa Macuja-Elizalde , founder of the program and the Philippines ' first prima ballerina . She believes in her students , personally paying for their lessons and uniforms . Macuja-Elizalde 's goal is to help these children become professional members of the company with incomes to match . They are among her most focused students , she says , not afraid to work hard and to push themselves and their bodies . The Philippines Community Fund , which runs a school for children in Tondo , provides the transport , chaperones and an extra meal for a number of the children . Jame Walker , founder of the Philippines Community Fund , describes just how daunting the obstacles are for dancers like Balote . `` They do n't get a good night 's sleep in a comfortable bed , '' she says . `` Every night they sleep on bare boards . Sometimes the rats nimble the hard skin on their feet . '' Walker says the biggest challenge the students face is a mental one . They lack confidence and many believe they are not worthy of a different life . Balote is one of the success stories . She is now a company scholar and an official member of Ballet Manila , receiving a regular paycheck . She joined the company for a recent performance of `` Swan Lake '' , a ballet she loves , she says , because it is a love story . It is unclear how many more children will be able follow in her footsteps . The Philippines Community Fund is having trouble financing the program and cut the provision of chaperones this year . Without help , Walker says , it may not be able to continue , a reality she 'd rather not have to face . `` We have built up ( the students ' ) hopes and dreams for years now ... for me it 's unbearable to think about , '' she says .
Program run by Ballet Manila gives opportunities to children from slums . Students are given chance to join the company , full-time . The program is funded through donations and private donations.