Philippines: World Vision congratulates CNN Hero Efren Peñaflorida
23 Nov 2009
By World Vision staff
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Efren Peñaflorida stands in front of World Vision relief supplies during the recent Typhoon Ketsana response.
Photo by Martin Nanawa.
©2009 World Vision International |
World Vision joins the thousands of people in rejoicing with former sponsored child Efren Peñaflorida and the Dynamic Teen Company for winning the CNN Hero of the Year Award.
Peñaflorida, a school teacher from Cavite, was awarded for his inspiring commitment to educate street children with his "Kariton Klasrum" (Classroom Cart), through a group he founded in the 1990’s, the Dynamic Teen Company.
Out of more than 9,000 nominees from across the world, Peñaflorida emerged as the winner in a special awards ceremony held Saturday.
“Efren is a living testimony that investing on a child’s life to have a better future can have really big returns,” said Elnora Avarientos, executive director of World Vision in the Philippines.
“For us in World Vision, we are truly honored that Efren embodies that heart of our ministry. He is an evidence that our work in World Vision is real – that each child transformed through the sacrificial giving of others can become a hero and start a movement of change that this world desperately needs.”
As Peñaflorida said in his acceptance speech: "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."
Watch Peñaflorida's acceptance speech on CNN.com...
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