In the Western World, it’s something of a cliche for kids to complain about having to do their homework. In impoverished countries however, the need to learn and the desire to achieve one’s potential drives children to grasp education with both hands. That’s exactly what Daniel Cabrera was doing when someone decided to get a photo of him.
Daniel was studying outside a McDonalds in Mandaue City in the Philippines. As a homeless student, he had literally nowhere else to go. A student, Joyce Torrefranca, saw the inspiring scene and took a picture which she then posted to Facebook. “I got inspired by a kid,” she wrote. After the photo blew up, Philippine news station ABS-CBN found Daniel at a restaurant, near to the site where the picture was taken.
Daniel’s home was destroyed in a fire, so he and his family were living in a restaurant. His mother, Christina Espinosa, is a widow. She makes 80 Philippine pesos a day – equivalent to around $1.80. When he was interviewed by news station ABS-CBN with his mother, he stated that he hopes to one day be a policeman.
Joyce had no idea how powerful the picture would prove to be. “I didn’t think that a simple photo can make a huge difference,” she explained on Facebook. “Thank you guys for sharing the photo. With that, we were able to help Daniel in reaching his dreams. I hope Daniel’s story will continue touching our hearts so that we will always be inspired and motivated in every situation we face in life.”
