This snap of Daniel Cabrera, a homeless boy, doing his homework under the light of a McDonald's restaurant, has been shared massively on social media. Daniel, 9, was spotted in the streets of Manilla, Philippines. The boy was photographedby a medical student, Joyce Torrefranca, who posted thephotoon Facebook.
Discover our latest podcast
The photo was soon shared thousands of times, quickly the aim of the picture became political, bringing forward the courage and determination of this young boy who has nothing, with the inspiring message that you don’t need much to succeed.
Daniel had lost his home in a devastating fire which killed his father. He and his mother were often spotted begging for money, and, whenever he has time, he puts his energy into studying. One of Daniel’s teachers, Rosalina Detuya, described him as:
A happy child. He is also intelligent and always participates during classes, he’s very determined.
The power of social networks
After the photo was posted and shared on Facebook, local organizations, including a social welfare agency, got involved to support the family. Localpolice officersprovided food and money to Daniel and his family. He also got a scholarship from a famous local politician. He said in an interview for DMZ Radio that he wants to be a police officer when he grows up.
On Facebook, Torrefranca acknowledged that the photo had a huge impact on his life:
I could never imagine a simple picture could make such a difference. Thank you for sharing the photo. Thanks to this, we were able to help Daniel’s dreams come true. I hope Daniel’s story continues to spread so that we will always inspire each other and face with good energy every situation we face in life.
