By Edson C. Tandoc Jr.

His expression of gratitude comes in the form of a wooden pushcart loaded with crayons, books, pens, clothes, jugs of water, a blackboard and a Philippine flag.

Every Saturday, the pushcart goes to the public cemetery, market and dump in Cavite City where 28-year-old Efren Peñaflorida has been leading teenagers, for more than a decade now, in teaching street children basic literacy skills and values to save them from illegal drugs and prevent them from joining gangs.

CNN Hero of the Year
Peñaflorida’s pushcart has earned him recognition, the most recent being named Hero of the Year by news agency CNN.

Out of over 9,000 nominees from across the world, Efren emerged the hero, garnering the most votes worldwide. He was honoured in a special ceremony held November 21 at the Kodak Theater in New York.

In his acceptance speech Efren delivered a message to inspire people of all ages, "Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve... You are the change that you dream, as I am the change that I dream, and collectively we are the change that this world needs to be."

Paving the Way
Himself a victim of gangs when he was in high school, Peñaflorida knows by heart what poverty can do: Snatch children out of school and lead them to violence.

Born to a father who worked as a tricycle driver and to a mother who was a laundrywoman, he managed to finish college through the help of other people.

Very early on in life though, Peñaflorida’s almost lost his chance at receiving an education. His parents had told him, being the middle child among three siblings, that he had to drop out of grade school and give way to his elder brother who was finishing high school.

But a community volunteer helped Peñaflorida get a scholarship from World Vision—a charity which matches sponsors to children in need—when he was in Grade 5.

Thanks to his good grades, his sponsor agreed to finance his education until he finished a two-year diploma course in computer technology.

“I realized why I was created”
Through the pushcart, Peñaflorida is giving back. “I realized why I was created and I want to fulfill this mission,” he said.

Peñaflorida is referring to Dynamic Teen Company (DTC), which he and his classmates at Cavite National High School formed in August 1997.

The company began as a simple gathering of some 30 schoolmates as an alternative to the numerous teenager gangs which got involved in riots at that time.

Club 8586, a volunteer group based in the city, helped Peñaflorida in setting up the DTC when he got into high school.

“We asked ourselves what causes the creation of gangs and we found that most of their members are teenagers who live in the slums.”

Hungry for More
The group initially brought food for the children, getting funds from selling junk they collected, but the problem was more than just empty stomachs.

DTC started to grow and soon, members decided to start literacy classes every Saturday. To carry books and a blackboard, the group bought a bike with a sidecar.

But once in a while, the tires would run flat and the chains fall off, so high school senior Emanuel Bagual, the current president of DTC, proposed that the group use a pushcart instead.

Being with street children most of the time, Peñaflorida felt that his calling was to be a teacher. In 2006 he completed a degree in education. He now works as a high school teacher in a private school.

Although Peñaflorida received his greatest gift when CNN aired its feature on him on his birthday on March 5, his parents were not able to watch the live broadcast and his live interview with journalist Larry King. They did not have cable TV at home.

Peñaflorida also knows he could give more if he earned more. To buy food and school supplies for the street children, DTC just depends on the commitment of its high school members for their fund-raising activities and donations.

But he said, “I have faith that the Lord will provide.”

Lives Touched
DTC members (there are about 2,000 of them) hold three education sessions every Saturday. About a hundred kids join each session and they are grouped according to age.

The volunteers not only teach street children how to read, write and count, but also proper hygiene. They would bathe some of the children and give them clothes. They also instill faith among them.

“I hope other youth organizations will have their own pushcarts in other parts of the country,” he said.

Many children still need guidance and help, according to Peñaflorida. This is the reason the DTC had just built its second wooden pushcart.

What You Can Do
You can help shape a child’s future, through child sponsorship.