Pushcart educator from Cavite, Efren Peñaflorida who uses a ‘pushcart classroom’ to bring education to children, has been awarded the CNN Hero of the Year for 2009.
Efren got $100,000 in addition to the $25,000 he received when he became one of the top ten finalists. In a recent interview, Efren said he’ll donate some of the money to the church and other institutions while a big percentage of it will go straight to support funding of his project. He didn’t even bother to save some for himself. This selfless act he’s been showing has benefited many children since he started this ‘pushcart classrom’.
Watch the video of his acceptance speech under the cut.
The awarding ceremony was taped in front of an audience of 3,000 at the famous Kodak Theatre last weekend. It features the performances of Carrie Underwood, Maxwell and Leona Lewis. It will be televised in CNN on Thanksgiving, November 26, 2009.
“Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve”, was one of the most memorable lines in Efren Peñaflorida’s speech.
