The inspiring picture of him doing his homework on the street using a makeshift wooden desk and the dim light from a McDonald's restaurant touched the hearts of millions.
He may be only nine years old, but the determination by Daniel Cabrera to use education to drag himself out of poverty in the Philippines struck the medical student who stopped to take his picture, which was shared around the world.
Daniel's commitment is all the more remarkable when it is revealed that he is homeless and lives in a shack around the back of a cafe where his mother works after their home was burned down in a fire five years ago.
Inside the shack, Daniel and his siblings take turns to sleep on wooden benches.
Daniel's mother, Christina Espinoza, who also has three grown up children from a previous marriage, worked tirelessly to provide for the family.
She became the sole provider for Daniel after his father died of severe diarrhea in a prison cell three years ago.
As well as being employed as a domestic worker for a food stall owner, his mother was often forced to do extra jobs.
She used to wash people's laundry and also earn small cash as a street vendor, selling cigarettes and sweets to passers-by, she told Rappler.
Their shack has no walls or electricity, making it very exposed during the cold winter months.
Without a car and unable to afford the bus, Daniel walks a kilometre each morning to school, arriving for his first lesson at 8am.
Even at school, Daniel has had to battle with bullies, who once stole one of his two only pencils. Now he keeps a set of rosary beads in his bag, hoping that it will ward off the bullies and that no one will take his only remaining pencil.
Lacking a lamp to do his homework, Daniel often chooses to study near a McDonald's restaurant, in Mindanao, Cebu - close to his home due to the large amounts of light beaming out of the store.
While his Grade 3 classmates play football in the evening, Daniel is often studying outside the restaurant.
Until he was photographed last month, Daniel was just another poor Filipino boy, with big ambitions to become either a doctor or a policeman.
His life was changed when 20-year-old medical technology student Joyce Torrefranca was walking down the street and spotted the small boy studying away at his homework puzzle next to the bright restaurant window.
After taking several quick photos on her phone, Torrefranca posted the images on to her social media, writing that she felt 'inspired' by his dedication to his studies.
The photo was quickly shared over 7,000 times, with dozens of people commenting how impressed they were with the young boy's studying efforts.
Joyce later wrote: 'I didn't think that a simple photo can make a huge difference. Thank you guys for sharing the photo. With that, we were able to help Daniel in reaching his dreams.'
Giomen Probert Ladra Alayon also saw the boy studying in the street and managed to have a quick conversation with him.
Writing on his social media page, Giomen praises nine-year old Daniel:
'His example leaves us to ask ourselves, 'If this kid can do it, why can't we? Why do we need to go to coffee shops, study centers, etc. to pay much if studying only requires study materials and your own will power?'
He praises the 'real star' of the story as Daniel Cabrera, 'whose determination inspired us and definitely sent an uproar in social media on what studying really means!'
Alayon also commented on how Daniel's attitude should be used as an example by more people.
He wrote: 'Daniel perseveres because he knows how it feels to have nothing. We should learn from him. Life's greatest lessons come not from famous personalities but from simple people. Keep your eyes and mind open.'
'We should learn from him. And with that discipline and focus, I'm sure he will become someone someday! God bless everyone! Good day!'
The photo was shared over 7,000 times from her page and has now gained mass media attention.
Since then, a fundraising page has been set up and has raised enough money to pay for Daniel's education all the way through college as well as provide him with more books and his own study lamp.
His mother told reporters how proud she was of her son: 'He is a very studious and determined boy... he would insist on going to school even without his lunch money because I have no money to give,'
Ms Espinoza said: 'He always tells me: 'Mama, I don't want to stay poor. I want to reach my dreams'.'
The donations have been so generous that some of the money has been given to a local church and the government social welfare office.
However, Violeta Cavada, the city's social welfare office chief, said that careful planning would be needed in allocating the money: 'Our problem is how to manage all this financial assistance.'
Speaking about young student Daniel, Cavada said: 'He has become a symbol of poor slum boys in the city who can't study because they don't have electricity.'
Despite strong economic growth in recent years, roughly one quarter of the Philippines' 100 million people still live on less than one dollar a day, and giant slums dominate all major cities.
Here is a link to the fundraising page: Click here.
Culled
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