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They say that the best teachers inspire students, but how about the teacher who is willing to stake their financial well-being on impoverished students? That’s exactly what a teacher at a Henan university is doing. He has raised a large sum of money and helped thousands of students all over China. His heart-warming story has been an inspiration to people all over the world and it proves that even a single person can make a difference in people’s lives.

Thanks to the Internet, it’s become easier and easier to connect donors with people who are championing a cause through fundraising websites. From the comfort of our homes we can give money to those who have fallen on hard times. One Chinese teacher, Zhang Xiaohui, has been donating, managing and doing whatever he can to ease the suffering of impoverished students in China, and he’s been doing this since 2005, when he began to teach in the German language department of a Henan university.

The number of impoverished people in China is staggering so you don’t have to go far before coming across a heart-wrenching situation. For Zhang, it began when he heard a story about a student who was sleeping through mealtimes in order to avoid the pain of hunger.  Zhang donated a month of his salary and created a charity that has since turned into a nationwide program that gives assistance to students in need. The charity has collected about one million yuan (US $161,118) and has assisted over 2,000 students across China.

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Zhang’s reason for helping the kids is very simple. He says, “Every dream needs irrigation, every child needs love. The children are the future. Helping each other is the best way to achieve this future,” a statement that rings true with people all over China. They empathize with his dedication to helping children and have come to completely trust him with donations as he keeps a detailed public record of all the money he has received.

Along with his charitable work, Zhang has also spent time working as a personal tutor and translator while completing his graduate studies. He has also volunteered at schools in rural areas on more than one occasion. He says that the students’ thirst for knowledge drives him to find ways to help them and hopes that his story will help bring the needs of those less fortunate to the attention of more people.

Source: Shanghaiist
Images: Zhengzhou Evening News