For the past 12 years, Peñaflorida and his team of teen volunteers have taught basic reading and writing to children living on the streets. Their main tool: A pushcart classroom. Stocked with books, pens, tables and chairs, his Dynamic Teen Company recreates a school setting in unconventional locations such as the cemetery and municipal trash dump. Peñaflorida knows firsthand the adversity faced by these children. Born into a poor family, he lived in a shanty near the city dump site. But he says he refused to allow his circumstances to define his future. "Instead of being discouraged, I promised myself that I would pursue education," he recalls. "I will strive hard; I will do my best." TO VOTE: JUST CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE OR THIS LINK HELP OUR HERO, PLEASE FORWARD TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY!