PC/Sunday, 29 September 2013

 Bai FangLi



Peddling a Hard Living

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Virtuous Mr. Bai Fang Li Bai Fangli (Chinese: 白方礼; pinyin: Bái Fānglǐ) was a Chinese pedicab driver who donated 350,000 yuan to enable more than 300 poor students continue with their studies. In 2005, he died at the age of 93. In 1987 he retired from his pedicab driving job and returned to his village where he saw many children working in the field because they couldn’t afford education. At that time he was 74 years old and he decided to go back to his job of driving a pedicab in Tianjin. Till 2001 he worked really hard, sometimes 24 hours at a stretch so that he could make the money to pay the installment for the school fee. At the age of 90 he paid his last installment to the school and retired from his job.





Bai, who was returning to his home village to retire, upon seeing the plight of such poor children, returned to Tianjin and went back to work as a trishaw peddler, taking a modest accommodation next to the railway station. He waited for clients 24 hours a day, ate simple food and wore discarded second-hand clothes he found. He gave all of his hard-earned earnings to support children who could not afford education.



In 2001, he drove his trishaw to Tianjin YaoHua Middle School, to deliver his last installment of money. Nearly 90 years old, he told the students that he couldn’t work any more. All of the students and teachers were moved to tears.



In total, Bai had donated a total of 350,000 yuan to help more than 300 poor students continue with their studies. In 2005, Bai passed away at the age of 93, leaving behind an inspiring legacy.



If a trishaw peddler who wore used clothes and had no education can support 300 children to go to school, imagine what you and I can do with the resources we have to bring about positive change in our world!

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 References:

1.^“Bai Fangli: Selfless donation to poor students”. China.org. Retrieved September 7, 2013.

2. 
^“The Virtuous Mr. Bai Fang Li”. Paulo Coelho’s Blog. Retrieved September 7, 2013.