In case you were not aware, every year, CNN hosts a special awards ceremony where they honor a special real-world hero. Hero’s are nominated every year, and then the public can vote on the hero of their choice, who is awarded in a special celebration. This years celebration happened just tonight, where we learned that Efren Peñaflorida had been chosen.
Efren Peñaflorida, now 28, was constantly bullied by gangs in high school. A growing problem in the Phillippines, where teenage gang membership has now reached an estimated 130,000 in recent years.
But rather than follow in their footsteps and succumb to the pressures of his peers, he decided to not only get out, but work to solve the problem. Now he offers Fillipino youth an alternate option – education.
Gangs start targeting kids as young as 9 years old, mostly victims of poverty, with little or no educational opportunities, who are then dragged into the lifestyle out of pressure and lack of strong options.
So for the last 12 years, Efren Peñaflorida, with a team of volunteers, has taught reading and writing to children living on the streets by use of a mobile classroom. Literally a pushcart classroom stacked with books, tables, chairs, and other necessities. He’ll set up classrooms wherever he can, in cemetaries, even the local dump.
Now children as young as two and as old as 14 come to his mobile classroom each saturday for their lessons. Since their beginning in 1997, they’ve taught more than 1,500 children, their costs supported primarily by making and selling crafts, and recycling.
It’s a phenomenal thing, to watch someone not only overcome their past, or circumstances, but then devote so much of themselves to trying to fix the situation. I firmly believe that we are not subject to our environments, but are able to rise above them, to rise above our past, and to create lives for ourselves. You can see my story (here) to see why I believe this so strongly.
But even if you come from a background that is far less dramatic, we all find ourselves subjects of circumstances that would bring us down, and keep us from achieving individual greatness. Occasionally stories like those of Efren Peñaflorida simply help us realize that if people can overcome such great odds, and choose to make such a difference, then so can we.
You can read more about Efren Peñaflorida’s story at CNN here: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/03/05/heroes.efren.penaflorida/index.html
You can also choose to nominate your own hero for 2010 here: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/nom/
Please, share this URL with a friend through twitter, facebook, or email, or another social media site of your choice by clicking one of the links below, so that they too can be motivated by a real life hero today, Efren Peñaflorida.
Rusty
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s amazing how certain people have the courage and strength to rise above their circumstances and bring up others along the way. Can’t get enough of these stories.
Hi Rusty,
Good job!
Recently I’ve untied a knot in my heart once again.
Efren Peñaflorida is an inspiration to us all. This world needs heroes to devote their power. Everyone needs loving and caring for.
However, in my opinion, there is one contradiction. Once a hero becomes famous, he must get more opportunities than others, so that sometimes means some other people who are also potential to save the world may be burried in the sea of humans and remain obscure for all their lives!
Not only heroes, it is the same with masters. Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, they are also somewhat accidental. Without them, some other people might discover such theories and principles too.
Thereby, now I really understand what the sentence ‘There’s no absolute justice’ means. Perhaps we shouldn’t regard everything on every individual, but watch the human beings as a whole. As long as the human race is mainly marching forward, not backward, that is OK, no matter who are developing their power.
Maybe one’s burried, but he can benefit from the lucky guy’s new discoveries, new inventions, or his charitable work too.
The burried one can but not get the opportunity to do a great thing, maybe another one can. I’ve stopped envying the accidental examples (actually nobody’s achievement’s not accidental, including my sci-fi. Without me, someone else can write it too!). Our mutual goal is to get the whole human beings getting better and better, not every individual to get fame, claps and flowers!
We only need to guarantee that every individual leads a happy life and has a good ending, that’s all.
Best wishes from Chengdu China,
Susan
There are so many unsung heroes in this world. It isn’t fame and recognition that makes a hero. It is the deeds. The ones who gain recognition can inspire the rest of us to try harder and be better, even if no one ever knows what we are doing. We often learn of heroes who would much rather be anonymous and really don’t want to be in the spotlight. Mother Theresa comes to mind. Yet, how many people have been inspired by her? Recognizing some of them helps all of us.
Thank you.
Yes, I agree to recognize the heroes and learn from them. However, if a hero becomes famous, he may get more opportunies in life than the unknown ones do.
But it doesn’t matter, as long as the human beings are still marching forward. The human race is a whole.
Yes, Susan, a famous hero most probably will get more opportunities, but not all opportunities are good. I have faith that each of us receives the opportunities we need to become all that Heavenly Father wants us to be. We all have the opportunity to do good every day. Our job is to take advantage of those opportunities even if there is no praise or recognition. Heavenly Father knows our hearts. ;o)
I see the logic, and appreciate your point. In my opinion, however, the heroes we know and learn about should still be recognized and celebrated, and we should not begrudge them their resulting reward, which is why I so enjoy highlighting them here on my blog. You’re right, that once a hero is acknowledged, things change for him or her, and sometimes that can be good, and sometimes that can be bad. But there are no fewer opportunities for the rest of us, rather the heros we find give us more opportunities. Opportunities to learn from their example, to be motivated by their works, so that we too, can make our lives great.
I’ve got it, Rusty and Margaret. Thank you both.
I with my schoolmates went to American consulate today to apply for the visa. A boy and I were interviewed together and we succeeded. He just asked us which country we represent and whether we’ve got relatives or friends in America. We said ‘Kuwait’ and ‘No’. Afterwards the interviewer said ‘OK, you guys are fine.’ So this was it. I succeeded.
He just asked us two questions, but actually I wanted to talk with him more. I prepared all the needed materials well but he didn’t check them. I was glad that he gave us enough trust. But in fact I’d like him to see our family photos in which there is my father. Some American embassadors know my father because the connection between American consulate and Dissemination of Science and Art College, Chengdu University of Technology where my father works. Every year on America’s National Day, they invite my father to attend their party.
I’ll try to get the opportunity to attend their party together with my father next July, and I hope to see that interviewer who questioned the boy and me. I think he’s really, really kind!
Life is colorful, I see that! God bless us all!
Susan
I said today, it means Dec. 10. I didn’t realize the time difference…
Wish me success in the Model United Nations Conference!
Congratulations, Susan! Much success to you. Have a safe and wonderful trip!!
Thank you very much, Margaret.
I with the other schoolmates represent Kuwait in the Chicago MUN, and my committee is LAS (League of Arab States). I believe I can win the debate about climate change, because I get some amazing truths that most of the others may not know. I’ve got them from a book called Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1500 Years.
By the way, does LAS deal with issues about climate change? My lead asked me what issue I wanted to choose and the committee would be allocated according our choices. But I am not sure whether it really deals with this issue.
Besides the MUN in Chicago, I will also travel to Boston, Newhaven, Washington DC and New York.
Best wishes and many thanks to you!
Susan
I will try to publish my science fiction during my stay in the US. By the way It was written in English.
efren makes me proud as a filipino. he’s an inspiration and we’re following his lead to see this country change. you may want to check what i wrote about him.
http://www.psycheasy.com/efren-not-eddie-will-change-this-nation/
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