By TESSA JAMANDRE
CNN Hero of the Year Efren Penaflorida’s “pushcart classroom” actually started from a backpack. It was until they received a pedicab donation that Penaflorida and his group retired their worn-out backpacks that had carried all their classroom materials for their street classes.
But the pedicab could only take so much load and the maintenance for a flat tire was an additional cost. So one volunteer teacher, a corn vendor, suggested the use of the kariton or pushcart. To Penaflorida, the pushcart was the symbol of poverty that breeds illiteracy, and he wanted to change that.
Little did he know that the kariton that took him to the slums to teach kids would take him to center stage and gave the world an inspiration.
The kariton classroom and volunteer educators travel about five to six kilometers every Saturday to bring literacy to those who can’t afford school. Penaflorida, in an interview with VERA Files in early November, recalled how they used to be mocked and even been thrown stones at as they pushed their mobile classrooms along a busy street. But when the media took notice of his work and began to come out with stories about him, jeer turned into cheer.
Penaflorida bested 28 finalists from categories such as Championing the Children, Community Crusader, Defending the Planet, Medical Marvel, Protecting the Powerless and Young Wonder. There were six in his category, Championing the Children, and he was among the four who made it to the top 10.
Penaflorida received $100,000 for being named CNN Hero of the Year and $25,000 for earlier making it to the top 10 CNN Heroes. He said 90 percent of the $125,000 cash prize given to him by CNN would go to a center for learning accessible to streetchildren that he envisions, while 10 percent would be donated to the Church.
Penaflorida, 28, is a high school teacher at the Palm Ridge School in Molino, Cavite. Born to a tricycle father and mother who packs fish crackers in the market for a living, he made it to grade school through a scholarship assistance by World Vision Philippines. In high school and college he was given free tutorials, computer training and financial assistance by Club 8586 Inc.
It was then that he started a youth group with two of his classmates, the Dynamic Teen Co. (Making A Difference) in 1997 under the guidance and supervision of Club Penaflorida 8586 Inc. And they began street teaching in Cavite to divert students interest from joining gangs and fraternities.
His group now has four pushcarts: one serves food, another is for hygiene, and the other two bring fun and learning though books, blackboards and toys for a playschool for the toddlers. The group has more than 150 volunteers teaching about 350 to 450 children at the city market, the dump site, the cemetery and the Badjao community.
Peñaflorida was conferred the Order of Lakandula, with a rank of komandante (commander), a political and civic merit by President Arroyo in a simple ceremony in Malacanang on Friday. He was cited for his “leadership, prudence, fortitude, courage and resolve in the service of one’s people.”
