My name is Kesz and I grew up on the streets in The Philippines. I was 2 years old when my father sent me out to find and sell rubbish so he could buy drugs and alcohol. There was violence at home, so on my 4th birthday, I ran away from home to live in a garbage dump. One day, I sustained serious burns on the dump. A social worker took me to the hospital and has been caring for me ever since. Now I know what it is like to have a safe home, to go to school, to have enough to eat and to have nice clothes. The initiative For my 7th birthday, the first birthday I ever celebrated, I asked for slippers as a gift. Not for myself, but for other street children. I called these gifts ‘Gifts of Hope.’ Every year, I try to hand out more and more gifts, through my organization ‘Championing Community Children.’ We share gifts and raise awareness about children's rights, a healthy diet and hygiene. Together we move the world KidsRights supports me, as a changemaker, in my struggle for the rights of street children in The Philippines. We teach street children to wash themselves, to brush their teeth and to keep their wounds clean. To create a wide and enduring effect, we train children in the community so they can pass their knowledge on to others. My mission Together we can change the world, step by step! No matter what your background is, whether you are rich or poor, young or old, everyone can make a difference, as a changemaker!