CEBU, Philippines – The nine-year-old boy who went viral online for doing his homework on a sidewalk using lights from a fastfood chain received another blessing.
And this time around, he got to share the blessing with fellow homeless children.
Father Carmelo Diola, coordinator of the Ugnayan ng Barangay at Simbahan, has turned over to Subangdaku Barangay Captain Ernie Manatad P10,000 cash for the food allowance of Daniel Cabrera and nine other children in the barangay who join the barangay’s weekly gathering for homeless children.
Since February this year, Manatad has been organizing the SKIDS project, a weekly gathering of homeless kids in the barangay wherein children are bathed, fed and taught values formation and catechism.
Daniel Cabrera and nine others will now receive a P1,000 monthly allowance from UBAS for them to buy their lunch and snacks while in school.
During a short turnover ceremony at the Subangdaku garden, Fr. Diola said the donations for Daniel and his family have already reached P200,000, but he asked the donors to also extend help to other children who are in a similar situation with Daniel.
The donors sought the help of the Archdiocese of Cebu in making sure their money reaches Daniel and other children.
Diola said Daniel will remain the main benefactor but the donors have agreed to let other poor children benefit from their donations as well.
“There are many people who want to help. There are many people who need help. You need to organize charity to bring them together,” Diola said.
Using funds from donors, Daniel, his mother and four siblings have been renting a room to stay in since last week.
Diola yesterday led the blessing of the family’s rented room, equipped with lights, in Sitio Lower Malibo, Barangay Subangdaku.
The Cabreras used to live in a roadside shanty with no electricity before Daniel photos, taken by college medical student Joyce Torrefranca, made rounds online.
Diola said they hope the city government can provide within six months a home for the family in one of its socialized housing sites.
Although donors can go directly to Daniel and his family, Diola said it would be better if the donations are pooled together and used to help the family in a more sustainable way.
“Our charity is oftentimes sporadic. The challenge is how we can organize it so that it will be sustainable,” he said.
Daniel has been receiving school materials, financial aid, groceries and scholarships, among others, since his photos went viral.
His mother, Christina, also received free livelihood training in Manila and was provided with a capital to start her own business.
The Mandaue City government also earlier promised to provide skills training to Christina, who used to work in a makeshift food stall.
Christina became the sole breadwinner of the family after her live-in partner died two years ago.