Efren Penaflorida

Francis Kyle M. Flores

7 – Prudence

Modern day Filipino Heroes

Efren Peñaflorida

Efren Geronimo Peñaflorida Jr. was born in March 15, 1981 and, he was born the middle child of Efren Peñaflorida Sr., a tricycle driver, and Lucila Geronimo, a housewife. The family eventually started a small noodle business to make ends meet. Efren grew up in an urban slum near an open dump site in Cavite City, Cavite, playing amongst garbage and swimming in polluted waters. He would often fall victim to neighborhood bullying. Efren was one of World Vision's sponsored-children during his early childhood. Efren completed his elementary and high school education through the help of scholarships and financial assistance, and received several class awards and honors. In 2000, he graduated from San Sebastian College–Recoletos de Cavite with a degree in computer technology, receiving highest honors. He pursued a second course at Cavite State University Cavite City campus, graduating cum laude in 2006 with a degree in Secondary Education. In 1997, at 16 years old, Peñaflorida started a youth group in his high school aimed at diverting students' attention away from street gangs, and towards community activism and personal development. Joined by other classmates, they named the group "Dynamic Teen Company". Efren Peñaflorida was the founder and head of Dynamic Teen Company. The Dynamic Teen Company offers Filipino youth an alternative to street gangs through education, recreating school settings in unconventional locations such as cemeteries and trash dumps. Dynamic Teen Company started as a friendship club of around 20 members, with an aim of providing youth awareness projects, talent and self-development activities, and community services. They collaborated with Club 8586, another community service organization operating in the area. Efren eventually pioneered the idea of the "pushcart classroom", wherein pushcarts were stocked with school materials such as books, pens, tables, and chairs,...