“Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.” ― Mother Teresa. In the Philippines millions of children are living in horrible conditions on streets. Having to experience excruciating pain, isolation from the outside world and being deprived from education, health and hygiene. They are unwanted, unloved, uncared for and forgotten by everybody. Poverty is such a big issue in the Philippines because of the emotional impact it has on the people living in it. The impoverished street children were searching for help, thankfully a former street child, Kesz, was able to step up for his rights and share his knowledge of health, hygiene, love and hope, with the helpless children in his town. Kesz was tortured as a young child and had to do something despondent, run for his life. He ran away from home with his only option to live on, the dumpsite. Kesz was able to convert his nightmare of growing up in a dumpsite into an eye-opening movement to teach street children what it means to have personal hygiene and hope for a better future.
Kesz having spent most of his life living on a dumpsite helped him understand that children need the basic understanding of health and hygiene and today he shares his knowledge with the other street children. He was a street child until the age of seven, having to pick up garbage and eat it from polluted areas, having to sleep in empty tombs in the local cemetery. At the age of seven Kesz fell into a pile of burning tires, ending up in a hospital where someone took the time to rescue and care for him. “The fire that burned my skin and flesh is the same fire that started a flame in my soul. A flame that would warm cold hearts...” (Pinoy Peace Prize Awardee Kesz Valdez Dedicates Award to Guardian) His pain and sorrow is what made him want to make sure that no one else would ever have to experience the same. This pain was an inspiration for Kesz and led to the healing of many street children that were in danger because of their health. Kesz has brought light into the dark lives of the street children. Today Kesz visits schools to educate the children about the importance of health and hygiene and shares his Gifts of Hope boxes. Included in his these boxes are first aid kits, flip-flops and toothbrushes. Throughout his lessons he, “ educates them about personal hygiene, explains them their rights, and takes care of their wounds, but above all he gives them hope.” (Winner of the International Children’s Peace Prize 2012, Kesz) Straight away the children change their perspective on life. They now know that they can live a full and longer life because Kesz has taught them how to take care of themselves. By doing this the children are not only living a healthy and hygienic life but they are also given instruction on how to treat others, hence inspiring more children. Kesz’s mission is to make sure all the street children living in the Philippines are able to live a healthier life. Furthermore he shares the importance and meaning of love and hope, and not only the importance of health and hygiene.
The love, hope and happiness that Kesz received from the people around him is what inspired him to go further and share this beautiful piece of life with other children. When Kesz was rescued from the dumpsite by his best friend, father, guardian and savior, Mr. Harnin, he opened up and wanted to share this special feeling with the other children living on the streets. He wanted to teach them as well as explain to them the meaning of love, happiness, hope and their rights. As Mr. Harnin said about the day Kesz was rescued, “that day probably was first day in his life that he felt loved, accepted and cared for.” (Winner of the International Children’s Peac Prize 2012, Kesz) It is evident that Mr. Harnin was the one who taught him to worship this feeling and share it. Kesz’s heart exploded with joy and this core, natural feeling was to be shared with the other children. He knew how lucky he was to be saved by such a courageous man, so he felt he must give back. This one day, this pain, and sorrow is what led to a movement, Championing Community Children. In a video the commentator explains how, “he has transformed his own experiences into a drive to help other street children and inspire them to change their own lives.” (Winner of the International Children’s Peac Prize 2012, Kesz) What Kesz does to share his knowledge is individually speaks with the children, telling them they have values, dreams and talents and that they deserve a hopeful future. These talks are what give the children hope and inspiration to do something as good as he has. Kesz converts pain and sorrow into an eye-opening movement to teach children the meaning of love, happiness and hope, this ties into the hope he gives the children by individually telling and lecturing them that they have a chance in life. Kesz knows the importance of having someone to care, and these street children don’t. He has been blessed by being a given a guardian and he wants to make sure he is the same inspiration for the other street children. For this to be done by a boy at such a young age is an extremely amazing, thoughtful and beautiful thing to do.
Kesz has not yet given up, he is still continuing to provide education, hope and comfort for the street children in the Philippines because he knows how the children live. His organization, Championing Community Children, has expanded to include many other street children around the Philippines. Kesz makes sure that the kids are aware that everyone should have access to medicine, hygiene and be able to follow their dreams and do what they want, not what they are told. The words he uses are what inspire the children and give them hope and urge to really become successful in their life. Gifts of Hope are what allow the children to look at the world in a different perspective, and Kesz, the rightful winner of the Children’s Peace Prize 2012, does all of this. Kesz is not only an inspiration to street children but other, more fortunate children who really see this boy as their role model to do good in the world. Additionally he is an inspiration to adults, humanitarians and philanthropists who want to make sure that everyone has an equal chance in life and help the poor. As Kesz himself said, “to everyone in the world, please remember that every day, 6,000 children die from diseases associated with poor sanitation, poor hygiene, and we can do something about it! Please join me in helping street children achieve better health and better lives.” Now lets join hands and make a change!
Kesz having spent most of his life living on a dumpsite helped him understand that children need the basic understanding of health and hygiene and today he shares his knowledge with the other street children. He was a street child until the age of seven, having to pick up garbage and eat it from polluted areas, having to sleep in empty tombs in the local cemetery. At the age of seven Kesz fell into a pile of burning tires, ending up in a hospital where someone took the time to rescue and care for him. “The fire that burned my skin and flesh is the same fire that started a flame in my soul. A flame that would warm cold hearts...” (Pinoy Peace Prize Awardee Kesz Valdez Dedicates Award to Guardian) His pain and sorrow is what made him want to make sure that no one else would ever have to experience the same. This pain was an inspiration for Kesz and led to the healing of many street children that were in danger because of their health. Kesz has brought light into the dark lives of the street children. Today Kesz visits schools to educate the children about the importance of health and hygiene and shares his Gifts of Hope boxes. Included in his these boxes are first aid kits, flip-flops and toothbrushes. Throughout his lessons he, “ educates them about personal hygiene, explains them their rights, and takes care of their wounds, but above all he gives them hope.” (Winner of the International Children’s Peace Prize 2012, Kesz) Straight away the children change their perspective on life. They now know that they can live a full and longer life because Kesz has taught them how to take care of themselves. By doing this the children are not only living a healthy and hygienic life but they are also given instruction on how to treat others, hence inspiring more children. Kesz’s mission is to make sure all the street children living in the Philippines are able to live a healthier life. Furthermore he shares the importance and meaning of love and hope, and not only the importance of health and hygiene.
The love, hope and happiness that Kesz received from the people around him is what inspired him to go further and share this beautiful piece of life with other children. When Kesz was rescued from the dumpsite by his best friend, father, guardian and savior, Mr. Harnin, he opened up and wanted to share this special feeling with the other children living on the streets. He wanted to teach them as well as explain to them the meaning of love, happiness, hope and their rights. As Mr. Harnin said about the day Kesz was rescued, “that day probably was first day in his life that he felt loved, accepted and cared for.” (Winner of the International Children’s Peac Prize 2012, Kesz) It is evident that Mr. Harnin was the one who taught him to worship this feeling and share it. Kesz’s heart exploded with joy and this core, natural feeling was to be shared with the other children. He knew how lucky he was to be saved by such a courageous man, so he felt he must give back. This one day, this pain, and sorrow is what led to a movement, Championing Community Children. In a video the commentator explains how, “he has transformed his own experiences into a drive to help other street children and inspire them to change their own lives.” (Winner of the International Children’s Peac Prize 2012, Kesz) What Kesz does to share his knowledge is individually speaks with the children, telling them they have values, dreams and talents and that they deserve a hopeful future. These talks are what give the children hope and inspiration to do something as good as he has. Kesz converts pain and sorrow into an eye-opening movement to teach children the meaning of love, happiness and hope, this ties into the hope he gives the children by individually telling and lecturing them that they have a chance in life. Kesz knows the importance of having someone to care, and these street children don’t. He has been blessed by being a given a guardian and he wants to make sure he is the same inspiration for the other street children. For this to be done by a boy at such a young age is an extremely amazing, thoughtful and beautiful thing to do.
Kesz has not yet given up, he is still continuing to provide education, hope and comfort for the street children in the Philippines because he knows how the children live. His organization, Championing Community Children, has expanded to include many other street children around the Philippines. Kesz makes sure that the kids are aware that everyone should have access to medicine, hygiene and be able to follow their dreams and do what they want, not what they are told. The words he uses are what inspire the children and give them hope and urge to really become successful in their life. Gifts of Hope are what allow the children to look at the world in a different perspective, and Kesz, the rightful winner of the Children’s Peace Prize 2012, does all of this. Kesz is not only an inspiration to street children but other, more fortunate children who really see this boy as their role model to do good in the world. Additionally he is an inspiration to adults, humanitarians and philanthropists who want to make sure that everyone has an equal chance in life and help the poor. As Kesz himself said, “to everyone in the world, please remember that every day, 6,000 children die from diseases associated with poor sanitation, poor hygiene, and we can do something about it! Please join me in helping street children achieve better health and better lives.” Now lets join hands and make a change!
