Efren Peñaflorida
Dirty. Uneducated. Trash. Nothing. Those were the only words a young Tony knew. They echoed in his mind like the static of a broken TV — only, he had never seen one. Day after day, hunger gnawed at his bones as he walked to school. Poverty kept him from quality education, but a lack thereof hindered his escape — that, he knew at the very least.
It wasn’t until he turned a rough corner that he met the man who would change his life forever. A man whose name should have reached great heights, yet remained unsung; whose innovative works transformed education, yet remained unknown. This was the start of Tony’s journey with Efren Peñaflorida.
But Tony is not alone in this journey
He is only one of the thousands of children whom Efren has helped — children who, like Tony, once had nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Efren was not just another bystander — he was a man of action. In stark contrast to others who’d ignore street children, he sought to help them. With nothing but a pushcart of books and other school materials, he taught these children basic hygiene and education when no one else would. Where others saw hopelessness, he built a classroom. Where others turned away, he turned knowledge into hope.
Even in today’s world, poverty remains a harsh reality, with around 17.54 million people living below the poverty line (Philippines Statistics Authority, 2024).
In a world that seemed to offer these poor children nothing, Efren became their guide, proving that learning has no bounds — not of place, nor of privilege. But what led Efren to dedicate his life to this cause?
It wasn’t always this way. One might think he had lived a prosperous life, but that’s only the image he built from his success. As a child, Efren suffered the same fate as all the other street kids. Despite having lived near a cemetery and dumpsite, he once thought life was normal (Matabuena, 2023).
“Instead of going to school, the kids want to work and look for money,”
– Efren said in an interview (PH Efren Penaflorida – CNN Hero ~ Paying It Forward, 2009)
He traveled far and wide, from Baclaran to Cavite, just to sell fish crackers in an effort to support his family. This cycle of endurance persisted until one fateful day. As he was traveling back from school, he came face-to-face with gang members (Dacumos – Lagorza, 2017). But these weren’t ordinary gang members. They were… children?
“In high school, gangs were very rampant and I felt the social discrimination,”
– Efren said in an interview (Efren Penaflorida – CNN Hero ~ His Story 2009).
Out-of-school youth surrounded him, hurling stone pellets his way. Ordinarily, one would be annoyed — angry, even. But Efren handled it differently: he reflected, not by reflecting the pellets back, but by taking a moment to reflect deeply — though, admittedly, only after running away in fear (Dacumos – Lagorza, 2017). In that moment, he embraced one of the many core values that would define the man he would become.
Instead of resorting to violence, Efren sought understanding — a shining example of the virtue of temperance. With the guidance of his mentor, a pastor from Club 8586, he realized that joining a gang only led to two tragic ends: a cemetery or prison (Dacumos – Lagorza, 2017).
“I wanted to pay it forward,”
– Efren said in an interview (PH Efren Penaflorida – CNN Hero ~ Paying It Forward, 2009).
With the help of his three friends, he formed the Dynamic Teen Company (DTC) to offer an alternative path for struggling youth. “The main goal of DTC is to introduce concepts like youth importance, self-understanding and moral values. We want children to enjoy learning,” he said in an interview (Heroes, heritage, history and SM, n.d.).
In partnership with Club 8586, he and the DTC eventually pioneered the idea of the “pushcart classroom” wherein pushcarts, stocked with school materials, transformed streets into makeshift classrooms for children in the slums. (Heroes, heritage, history and SM, n.d.). By offering a safe learning space for marginalized children, Efren not only protected their physical and emotional well-being (SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being) but also provided them with the opportunity to break free from poverty (SDG 1: No Poverty). This was only the start of his journey to a life of good deeds.
Efren’s work wasn’t just about creating change — it was about staying true to it. The virtue of Integrity became his guiding principle, but he wasn’t the only one working in his “Kariton Klasrum”. Local volunteers stood by him, driven by the same mission. “I always tell my volunteers that you are the change you dream and, collectively, we are the change that this world needs to be,” Efren said in an interview (Efren Penaflorida – CNN Hero ~ His Story, 2009).
Efren’s work wasn’t just about creating change — it was about staying true to it. The virtue of Integrity became his guiding principle, but he wasn’t the only one working in his “Kariton Klasrum”. Local volunteers stood by him, driven by the same mission. “I always tell my volunteers that you are the change you dream and, collectively, we are the change that this world needs to be,” Efren said in an interview (Efren Penaflorida – CNN Hero ~ His Story, 2009).
Day after day, he and his partners worked to change the future of poor children, redirecting them from joining gangs and suffering from a crime they did not commit. Efren, the DTC, and his volunteers vowed to lead children away from crime and toward education, offering them a chance at a better future. By promoting peace and learning in their lives, he not only made an impact in children’s education (SDG 4: Quality Education) but also inspired the hearts of many into his mission (SDG 17: Partnerships For The Goals). But how did it impact gang members?
“My gangmates were one of the most influential things in my life. I would probably be in jail or a drug addict if I did not meet Efren,”
– Rhandolf said in an interview (Efren Penaflorida – CNN Hero ~ His Story 2009).
This was Efren’s display of the virtue of Justice. His Kariton Klasrum was built for those who had been denied opportunities. Through selfless acts, he ensured that education was not a privilege, but a right. By using his classroom to promote righteousness in a world devoid of such acts, Efren not only created a safe haven for learning (SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) but also paved the way for a future once stolen from these children (SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities).
Over time, Efren’s mission gained public recognition. Since 2001, SM has been a partner, providing venues where the group can showcase its talents and create awareness for its advocacies (Heroes, heritage, history and SM, n.d.). Even if his pushcarts were designed to bring the classrooms to children, it was not meant to replace traditional classrooms. “The goal of the program is to get the children back to school,” He said in an interview (Nolasco, 2015). “Our program is now being replicated by various institutions, especially the Department of Education in the Philippines, he added (Nolasco, 2015). This was amazing news not just for the group, but for the community at large.
In 2009, he was crowned as the CNN Hero of the Year — a true testament to his legacy. Numerous awards followed and he was given $100,000 to continue his advocacy (Dacumos – Lagorza, 2017). With the prize money, Efren set his sights on a greater vision: expanding Kariton Klasrum beyond Cavite, with hopes of reaching the entire nation. “On our part, we don’t want to stay as kariton. We dream of having our own center,” he said in an interview (Dacumos – Lagorza, 2017).
All in all, Efren Peñaflorida is more than just a man of action, but also a ray of light in a dark tunnel. Through his Kariton Klasrum and Dynamic Teen Company (DTC), he didn’t just teach; he transformed lives, shaping a future for children who once had none. His story is a testament to the power of resilience and compassion, and personally, it inspires me to uplift others. He wasn’t born extraordinary — he became extraordinary through his dedication to righteousness.
I, too, cherish the little ones and wish nothing but the best for them. But how about you? Will you stand by Efren’s mission and become part of the change this world needs? Will you be the poor man’s guide?