While social media can be quite the jungle these days with all sorts of exposés on the failings and corruption of people in power, every once in a while there are glimpses of scenes that warm the heart and make even the most jaded of people smile and feel that there is still some good and hope for this world.
A photo of 9-year-old Daniel Cabrera studying near a lamppost beside a fast-food outlet in Mandaue City appeared in a Facebook post and drew thousands of likes from friends and strangers alike.
Donations started pouring in for him.
Cabrera was one of 32 street children who were helped by Subangdaku barangay chairman Ernie Manatad to attend Sunday school so the kids could pursue basic studies under the guidance and watchful eye of barangay officials.
The school program is quite simple, yet it helps kids stay off the streets where they can be lured into a life of drugs, prostitution and petty crime.
Cabrera’s quiet, yet laudable dedication, speaks volumes about how children, regardless of their social station in life, can pursue and achieve their dreams if given the right conditions and motivation.
Cabrera’s case has attracted some help and pledges of support from the private sector which can go a long way towards helping him stay on course for his dream of a good education and, hopefully, a stable job that could support him and his family.
Cabrera is not alone in receiving support and praise from Netizens.
In Saratosa, Florida, USA, a homeless veteran named Donald Gould was recorded on video playing the piano to an appreciative crowd. The video went viral on YouTube.
Gould, a former US Marine, faced money woes that cost him the loss of his wife and eventually his son, as drug addiction caused his life to spiral out of control.
A piano placed on the sidewalk as part of a civic arts project allowed Gould to display his music skills and now, he plays a five-song set to passersby who drop money to show their appreciation.
Stories like Cabrera and Gould show that there are poor people who can help themselves out of the quagmire of misery provided someone believes in them enough to help them.
Thanks to social media, they have a chance to be helped by strangers.
Many are willing to give them that chance to get out of a rut.
In this day and age of selfies, it’s stories like theirs that make people realize there’s a bigger world out there other than their own.