Homeless boy wins $130,000 peace prize
The obstacles seemed insurmountable for a 13-year-old Filipino street kid. Forced to scavenge for his survival from the age of 2, sleep in a coffin and run away to seek help after he was badly injured, Cris "Kesz" Valdez had every reason to merely look out for himself. But at age 7, he started a foundation, the Championing Community Children charity, to help fellow homeless kids, and his selfless work has been recognized with the $130,000 Children's Peace Prize. "You are wonderful," Nobel Peace laureate Desmond Tutu told the young philanthropist at a ceremony at The Hague. According to the KidsRights Foundation, Cris has helped about 10,000 kids by distributing flip-flops, toys, sweets and clothes in Cavite City, just 18 miles south of the capital Manila.
Things We Forget
