Daniel Cabrera was only 9 years old when a photograph of him studying in front of a McDonald’s in the Philippines went viral around the world.
In 2015, after a fire destroyed his family’s home and his father died, Daniel spent his nights in front of a restaurant in Cebu, using the light from its windows to do his homework. His mother worked nearby and one of his siblings was ill, but he never stopped studying.
Joyce Torrefranca, a medical student who saw him one night, took a photograph and posted it on Facebook. The image went viral and changed the family’s life: Daniel received a scholarship from Ronald McDonald House Charities to continue his studies and, later, another four-year university scholarship, in addition to support for books, housing, and school expenses. His family also received financial assistance.
Today, 11 years later, Daniel is 20 years old, studies Hotel Management at Benedicto College, and works at the same McDonald’s where he studied under its light as a child.
The child who once moved the world by studying on the street ended up returning to the same place, but this time as an employee and university student.