One night in June, a woman walked past a McDonald's in the Philippines and saw a little boy studying outside. He was using the light from the McDonald's to see his work.
She felt inspired, snapped a photo, and shared it to Facebook. And now, just a month later, people from all around the world are sending money and supplies to help the boy and family — all thanks to that photo.
Joyce Gilos Torrefranca, a 20-year-old medical technology student in Cebu, captioned the post, "I got inspired by a kid," Mashable reports.
The image has since been shared over 7,000 times and prompted a Filipino news station to find out more about the little street scholar.
ABS-CBS News found the boy, Daniel Cabrera, living with his mother in a nearby grocery store where his mother works. The family has lived in the store for the past five years, ever since their home was destroyed in a fire, AFP reports.
Cabrera's father is dead and his mother earns only 80 pesos ($1.77 US) per day. As a result, the boy often goes without food and the family has very little money, his mother explained.
Despite these hardships, Cabrera's mother says her son is determined to succeed in school and that he dreams of becoming a policeman.
"He always tells me, 'Mama, I don't want to stay poor. I want to reach my dreams,'" she said.
Cabrera and his mother have reportedly received donations from people around the world who were also inspired by Gilos Torrefranca's Facebook post. Donations have included money, school supplies, clothing, and a scholarship to pay for Cabrera's education through college, AFP reports.
Somebody even sent a reading light, so Cabrera hopefully will no longer have to rely on the light at McDonald's to do his homework.
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