Elderly Woman Honored for Charity to Needy Students
ByYao Yao December 16, 2013
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| Xie Liming, 88, from Linfen in northwest China's Shanxi Province, is interviewed by a journalist from the Women's Foreign Language Publications of China under the All-China Women's Federation. [Women of China/Zhang Jiamin] |
Her donation, which amounts to 150,000 yuan (US$ 24,705), has helped 192 students and 33 families over the years.
In 2000, Xie and her husband Kou Zhiqing promised in a letter to a Party organization that they would donate 1,000 yuan (US$ 164.7) each on the anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China－July 1－to help needy students.
"Education is the only way for rural children to change their fate, especially for girls. If they quit school because they can't afford it, their hopes of bettering their lives are gone," she said.
Xie herself lives a simple life. Reading has been one of her life-long passions and she hopes to help more children who love to read attend school.
A total of 54 national ethics models were selected this year based on millions of votes. In September, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders met with winners and nominees of the 4th selection of the 'national moral models' in Beijing.
Xi called for promotion of social ethics and traditional virtues among Chinese people. "These winners are excellent representatives of the many beautiful people who have emerged from our long-term campaign to boost ethics and our country's traditional virtues," he said.
"Their actions have warmed people's hearts, moved the nation and set an example for the whole of society," Xi said.
Ranging from company managers to ordinary villagers, the 54 have been recognized for diligence at work, giving help, caring for the elderly or upholding justice and honesty -- in many cases, at the cost of their own interests.
Xi especially introduced Gong Quanzhen, the nonagenarian wife of a late general who was among the leading cadres who helped found the People's Republic of China.
Xi expressed his respect for Gong, who went together with her husband to his rural hometown and devoted her life to teaching youngsters and helping locals in the mountainous region while living a frugal life herself.
"The spirit of hard struggle should be passed down from generation to generation," Xi said.
Xi called for people to uphold social and professional ethics as well as family and individual virtues, stressing basic values such as patriotism, honesty and friendliness.
The models of morality selection campaign was jointly launched by the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CCCPC), the Civilization Office of the CCCPC, the General Political Department, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Youth League and the All-China Women's Federation.
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