Zeferino Fiel da Silva is 32 years old and moved to the Philippines to study in Higher Education. After finishing his studies in 2016, Zeferino began working as Senior Voice Dispute Coordinator for Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries in Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
Since covid-19 arrived, the Angolan - a native of Viana, Luanda - has intensified initiatives to help Filipinos who live on the streets or who are experiencing various difficulties.
In statements to the Platinaline, Zeferino reveals that he has been helping people with their food. "I take it out of my own pocket, without asking for help from any group of local businessmen, I do all this just to put a smile on people's faces. I also have needs, but I prioritize my neighbor," he said.
The spirit of compassion arrived in 2013, when a great hurricane hit the Philippines. At the time, the young man decided to donate food to the university where he was studying. Since then, he started making donations on his own: "I fed at least 200 children who lived on the streets, then my friends decided to join me".
"I was able to legalise the NGO this year to see if we can apply for support to help more families. We have helped more than 8,000 families with food, masks and alcohol," he added.
About why he wants to continue helping those most in need, Zeferino revealed that it is his family in Angola that motivates him the most. "My family in Angola is also in need, my father, my mother and my brothers are the main reasons why I help thousands of families here in the Philippines," he stressed.
Gallery
