DREAM...and
CHANGE the World
Mr. Efren Peñaflorida
"Kuya Ef," as he is fondly called by the children he reaches out to, Efren Geronimo Peñaflorida Jr., born March 5, 1981, is a teacher and social worker in the Philippines. He is the founder and head of the Dynamic Teen Company, which offers at-risk Filipino youth an alternative to street gangs through education, recreating school settings in unconventional locations such as cemeteries and trash dumps.
(photo credit from www.pnvsca.gov,ph)
In March 2009, Peñaflorida was featured as a CNN Hero as part of the news network's program to honor individuals who make extraordinary contributions to help others. On November 22, 2009, he was named CNN Hero of the Year for 2009. You can find below videos from news outlets that covered the story.
Click one of the logos below to watch some of the videos about our hero.
Early Life and Background
Efren Peñaflorida was born the middle child of Efren Peñaflorida Sr., a tricycle driver, and Lucila Geronimo, a housewife. The family eventually started a small noodle business to make ends meet. Efren grew up in an urban slum near an open dump site in Cavite City, Cavite, playing amongst garbage and swimming in polluted waters. He would often fall victim to neighborhood bullying. Peñaflorida was one of World Vision's sponsored-children during his early childhood.
Peñaflorida completed his elementary and high school education through the help of scholarships and financial assistance, and received several class awards and honors. In 2000, he graduated from San Sebastian College–Recoletos de Cavite with a degree in computer technology, receiving highest honors. He pursued a second course at Cavite State University Cavite City campus, graduating cum laude in 2006 with a degree in Secondary Education.
Hero's Journey
In 1997, at 16 years old, Peñaflorida, along with some friends, started "Dynamic Teen Company," a youth group in his high school aimed at diverting students attention away from street gangs, and towards community activism and personal development. They partnered with Club 8586, another community service organization operating in the area.
They eventually pioneered the idea of the "pushcart classroom", wherein pushcarts were stocked with school materials such as books, pens, tables, and chairs, and then used on Saturdays to recreate school settings in unconventional locations such as the cemetery or trash dump.
Peñaflorida was nominated for CNN Heroes by Club 8586, the youth group that financed his elementary and high school education. After sifting through 9,000 nominees from over 100 countries, CNN's Blue Ribbon Panel selected Peñaflorida as one of its 28 heroes of 2009. And the rest was history.
Information Source: Wikipedia