Cris Valdez, is the 13-year-old scavenger boy who won this year’s International Children’s Peace Prize for his work as a head of a charity organization for children around the world.
The Filipino Cris Valdez who is now considered as a world inspiration for children was awarded with the special recognition handed over to him by one of the world’s most renowned personality, the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu of South Africa.
The South African human rights activist, Desmond Tutu was even quoted as saying that Cris Valdez is a “voice for the voiceless” and a “true inspiration.”
Cris was also interviewed by Agence France-Presse (AFP) after he returned to the streets of Cavite and spoke in a soft voice about his noble philosophies that emerged from personal devastation and the people who turned his life around.
Cris Valdez was the third of nine children from a desperately poor couple who lived with hundreds of other squatter families on the huge garbage dumbp in Cavite.
Cris more popularly known with his nickname “Kesz,” was just one of the few children who were suffering from poverty in a family that lives below $1 a day income. His parents even called him “bad luck” because they tried to sell him when he was a baby but they failed.
The Filipino scavenger was then rescued by a local Christian Youth Charity through the effort of it’s head Harnin Manalaysay. The rescuer even stated that Cris started scavenging at an early age of two.
Through the years, Valdez have been involved with Club 8586, a group who has been helping troubled youths for more than 27 years and it’s head Manalaysay became Cris’ guardian.
Cris began volunteering at a an early age of 6-year-old to teach other street children about basic hygiene. According to Manalaysay, the charity that started by Valdez called Championing Community Children all started when he asked the former scavenger about his gift which he stated that he wanted to give.
Under Manalaysay’s guidance, Valdez built the charity into one that raises funds from private donors to buy basic living items for children, including sandals, toys, food and clothes.
Valdez’s charity has helped 10,000 children in Cavite over the past six years, according to the judging committee of the International Children’s Peace Prize.
