Teen bags prestigious children’s peace award

Young Filipino walks away with $130,000 for championing the rights of street children

Manila: A teenage boy won a prestigious children’s award for his efforts in helping promote the rights of street children in the Philippines.

Chris ‘Kesz’ Valdez was the recipient of this year’s International Children’s Peace Prize at a ceremony held at The Hague, the Netherlands, on Wednesday.

Kesz was honoured for “his efforts to improve the rights of street children in the Philippines, where more than 246,000 street children are subjected to abuse, violence and child labour,” the body behind the award said.

The award carries a $130,000 (Dh477,369) prize.

Kesz started his own organisation, Championing Community Children, with the aim of giving street children hope and showing them that they can take charge of their future.

Every week, Kesz and his friends visit underprivileged communities to teach children about hygiene, food and children’s rights.

He even lectures other children on how to teach each other. He has so far helped more than 10,000 children in his local area.

Thousands of young Filipinos eke out a living for themselves and their families by sifting through recycleable materials from dump sites across the country.

It is work fraught with hazards.

“Many of them also struggle to cope with major health issues. Kesz was in the same situation,” the awarding body said.

“He was severely abused and forced to scavenge at the dumpsite at the age of two. Three years later, he sustained burns on his arm and back, which forced him to run away and look for help. He has transformed his own experiences into a drive to help other street children and inspire them to change their own lives.”

For his 17th birthday, Kesz said he wanted to give something to other street children — gifts of hope.

He was handed the award by Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu.
“Of the three nominated children, who have all made extraordinary efforts in the area of children’s rights, the Expert Committee selected Kesz as the winner. He was awarded the prize,” the awarding body said.

For his part, Kesz shared: “My message to all children around the globe is: Our health is our wealth! Being healthy will enable you to play, to think clearly, to get up and go to school and love the people around you in so many ways. To everyone in the world, please remember that every day, 6,000 children die from diseases associated with poor sanitation, poor hygiene, and we can do something about it! Please join me in helping street children achieve better health and better lives.”

Tutu said Kesz was a deserving and inspiring example of “a new voice for the voiceless”. –Gilbert P. Felongco, Correspondent