THE CHILD WITH A BIG HEART- KESZ CRIS VALDEZ

A few years back, Cris “Kesz” Valdez was like any other streetchild – he begged and cursed on the side. He would rather sleep on the pavements than go home and get a beating from his father or brother.

Instead of being in school, then three-year-old Kesz was digging into the dumpsites of Cavite with his siblings to augment the income of their father, a sidecar driver, and mother, a fish vendor. He would rummage the garbage for plastic bottles and other recyclable materials and sell it to earn at least P20 a day.

“Pag wala akong nauwing pera sa pangangalakal, binubugbog ako ng tatay ko,” Kesz looks back.

There are traces of that hard and painful life in his eyes, but those days are gone for now 11-year-old Kesz. His life and personality have changed tremendously since he was taken under the care of his kuyas. One of them is CNN Hero Efren Peñaflorida.

Kesz is not only the youngest volunteer at Peñaflorida’s Dynamic Teen Company (DTC) but he has also established his own group called “Caring Children” with a mission to help people in the only way he can — by saving money and playing Santa Claus to the needy.

THE CHILD WHO BROUGHT ‘BAD LUCK’

Kesz was one of the beneficiaries of DTC’s Kariton Klasrum. Like Peñaflorida and 17-year-old Emmanuel Bagual of M.Y. Rights, Kesz was also discovered by their mentor Harnin “Bonn” Manalaysay who founded Club 8586, the mother organization that later on gave birth to three more separate but complementing groups such as DTC, Mind Your (M.Y.) Rights, and Caring Children.

“Unang nakita ko si Kesz maraming galis at may mga pigsa sa ulo, natutulog sa may convenience store. Binili namin siya ng pagkain at inimbita sa kariton, pero humihingi siya madalas ng pera. I tried to hear his story. Bakit dun siya natutulog? Bakit marami siyang putok sa ulo? ‘Yun pala inuuntog siya ng kuya niya sa bakal,” recalls Manalaysay who could only help by giving food and education

through DTC at that time.

But when Kesz got into an accident, Manalaysay decided to take him under his care permanently.

“Nung five years old si Kesz habang nag-uunahan sila papunta sa truck ng basura, tinulak siya ng isang kasamahan niya sa nasusunog na gulong. Nasunog ‘yung likod niya at ibang parte ng katawan. Later on, binigay siya sa amin nung nanay niya dahil malas daw ‘yung bata, mamamatay lang daw kaya sa amin na lang. Sinabi ko, ‘hindi ko aampunin ‘yung anak mo. Pero papatunayan ko sa ‘yo na ‘yung anak mo hindi malas. ‘Yung anak mo, siya ang tutulong sa ‘yo pagtanda niya. Siya ang bibili ng bahay para sa inyo,” recalls Manalaysay.

And true enough, Kesz is now a changed boy with a bright future ahead of him. The incoming Grade 5 pupil is active both in school as an honor student, and in his group, as the president.

BIG HEART

At seven years old, Kesz was already being trained by his kuyas to think of a solution to problems in his community. He first thought of raising funds to provide slippers to poor children. Later on, his funds were used for projects that helped the poor, the needy and those affected by calamities.

Kesz sells ice candies to his classmates and to visitors of the Sunday School and Club 8586. He earns about P200 a day and saves it in an improvised piggy bank.

For his first charity project, Kesz gave eight pairs of slippers with toys and clothes to his fellow kids. But on his second year of operation, Kesz had to use his savings for something else.

“Si Teacher Donna, yung tumutulong sa akin sa pagbenta ng candies, siya din ang tinulungan ko. Narinig ko sa ibang teachers na may sakit ang nanay niya, nag-aagaw buhay at nanghihiram ng pera pang opera. Kahit hindi pa man December, ‘yung time para basagin ko ang alkansiya, lumapit ako kila Kuya Bonn at nagpaalam kung puwede kong gamitin na ‘yung naipon ko para matulungan si Teacher Donna,” shares Kesz who also gave his teacher a heartfelt letter saying he loves her and doesn’t want her to lose her mother.

Extremely thankful to Kesz, Teacher Donna happily shared the touching story with her churchmates. They, in turn, helped her pay it forward to him by donating 18 pairs of slippers, food and clothes to his charity!

Kesz also used his group’s savings to help last year’s victims of typhoon Ondoy. Caring Children likewise donates books to public schools in Cavite.

“Kesz is really resilient, dedicated and passionate. He has a big heart to volunteer. There’s this one time na hindi ko makalimutan, umuwi siyang puro dugo ‘yung damit niya. Sabi niya nasabugan daw ng light bulb ‘yung kaklase niya, kasi binato nito ‘yung fluorescent kaya pumutok at nasabugan siya. Dinala ni Kesz sa clinic ‘yung kaklase. Sabi niya kawawa daw ‘yung kaklase pero mas kawawa ‘yung school nila kasi walang nurse, wala ring gamot, bulak at iba pang gamit panggamot,”

relates Manalaysay.

That incident urged Kesz to gather his group members for another project — they donated first-aid kits to school clinics.

‘TEACHER’ KESZ

The young philanthropist looks up to Penaflorida and dreams of becoming a teacher himself.

“Pangarap ko pong maging teacher. Gusto kong makatulong at turuan ang mga bata. Idol ko si Kuya Efren dahil po nagtuturo siya sa mga bata ng walang bayad. Gusto ko siyang gayahin,” reveals Kesz.

Even if he misses his family who seldom visits him, he prefers to stay where he is and continue doing what he loves to do.

“Ayoko na po umuwi sa pamilya ko. Mas gusto ko na po dito kila kuya Bonn. Kasi maayos ang buhay ko dito. Nakakapag-aral na po ako,” ends Kesz who loves the Bible teachings he learns at Sunday school.

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