Answer:
KESZ'S STORY
In the Philippines life was tough for Kesz and his family. When he was only 2 years old, Kesz was sent out by his abusive father to collect garbage to earn money. When he was 4 years old, he ran away from home and ended up on the streets. He tried to survive on the dumpsite by collecting garbage and did not have the opportunity to go to school.
One day, Kesz got seriously injured when he fell into a burning pile of garbage at the dumpsite. A social worker helped Kesz and took him to the hospital. From then on, the social worker took care of Kesz and became his legal guardian. For the first time in his life, Kesz had enough food and clothing, he went to school, and he felt safe.
Kesz: “Falling into the fire left me seriously injured…but it has also been my salvation. I used to know nothing; I thought it was perfectly normal to have festering wounds on your feet. I’ve learned a lot since moving here”.
Explanation:
KESZ'S ACTION
Kesz never forgot the children he left behind on the streets of Cavite City. On his 7th birthday, he chose to give gifts to the street children instead of asking for anything himself. He asked for slippers to be distributed to the street children, so that they would no longer cut their feet.
This is how ‘Gifts of Hope’ was born. It was the first step in his activism for children’s rights. He brought the street children boxes of hope and happiness with toys, sweets and clothes. His Gifts of Hope inspired many others to join in, and it has become an annual event. Although the first time they ‘only’ distributed seven boxes, C3 can now hand out almost a thousand boxes every year.
In 2006, Kesz started his own organization: Championing Community Children (C3). An organization that not only distributes Gifts of Hope, but also provides information about children’s rights, nutrition and hygiene. Because of his own experience, Kesz knows exactly what kind of information and supplies street children need to survive.
The street children live on dumpsites and in open sewers, are very hungry and do not have access to health care. They are vulnerable to diseases and infections. Knowing this, Kesz makes it a priority to teach street children how to stay clean, brush their teeth and clean their wounds. To make the effect great and lasting, children are trained to teach each other. In this way the network is enlarged from the inside
“One is never too young to do something to help and meet a need.”
