#AkoSiDaniel

It has been a fortnight since nine-year-old Daniel Cabrera was photographed in Cebu City doing his homework in the street by the light of a fast food restaurant.

Since the photo was taken by medical student Joyce Torrefranca, Daniel’s story has gone viral, reverberating around the world and prompting responses from the local to the global.

Local politicians and community groups organised to award Daniel a scholarship, and funds were raised to help Daniel and his mother find a roof over their heads. A child-led social media campaign has gained traction, uniting under the banner #AkoSiDaniel – “I am Daniel” in support of education for all.

UN Special Envoy for Education Gordon Brown wrote passionately on the AWAS blog:

We ask of children deprived of the help they need: when will they ever learn? But we ask of adults: when will THEY ever learn? And we ask of governments too: when will they learn that education is too important to be left to chance?

If one nine-year-old boy can emerge from the darkness and show the world how important education is perhaps the adults who can make a difference will finally see the light.