While most 11-year-old boys relish spending their school break playing football, Denilson Long spends his with his friend playing billiards.

His friend has a medical condition in his eyes that makes it impossible for him to participate in any activity that could result in him bumping his head, so the young Denilson spends most of his time at school making sure he is safe and happy.

This also includes helping his friend with school work and other day-to-day struggles he might face. 

This effort has earned Denilson this year's Pope John XXIII Award for Kindness, awarded to those children who through their actions are deemed kind and who promote inclusion, justice and peace. 

President George Vella, who presented Denilson with a gold medal, said ahead of the presentation that sometimes adults wrongly believe children and young people have no values, but they do. 

In order to promote these good values, Dr Vella said, one did not necessarily have to be involved in "some big project" but even little acts of kindness go a long way.