I’d always dreamed of visiting Africa, ever since I read my first Tarzan comic as a child. Finally, in 2004, to celebrate my 60th birthday, I went to Tanzania to experience a safari (东非游猎) and climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. The person who seated next to me on the flight was Tanzania’s Minister of Water and Wildlife Development. We talked for thousands of miles, and he arranged me to visit a school. When I arrived at the school, I was shocked. The dirt floors turned into mud during the rainy season, and the walls couldn’t keep out the heat, cold or bugs (小昆虫). The school was in need of building materials.

It broke my heart that these children had to try hard to survive, so I asked the headmaster how much it would cost to feed them. As little as 20 cents per child per day, he told me. Immediately after I got back, I founded (成立) Kids of Kilimanjaro. Since then we’ve grown big enough to provide hot lunches for nearly 13,000 school children in Tanzania every day. The free lunch programme has solved an essential (基本的) problem the children face.

I know good education could really make a difference in these children’s lives. My parents always told me the importance of education. I paid my own way through college in Tokyo by teaching English to students and business people. After attending university I moved to San Francisco, when I was 25 years old. In 1978 I realized my American dream when I founded my own company. My success all started with good education.

It’s amazing that something as simple as a hot lunch can change so many lives. Giving young people a better, healthier life can encourage them to go all the way through college and lead a change in their country.

She was a large woman with a large handbag that had something in it. It had a long strap and she carried it slung across her shoulder. It was about eleven o’clock at night, dark, and she was walking alone when a boy ran up behind her and tried to snatch her handbag. The strap broke and the boy lost his balance, fell on his back on the sidewalk and his legs flew up.

The woman simply turned around, picked him up by his T-shirt and shook him hard. Sweat bathed the boy’s face and he began to struggle. Mrs. Jones dragged him up the street. When she got to her door, she dragged the boy inside, down a hall and into a room at the back of the house. She turned on the light and left the door open.

She said, “What is your name?”

“Roger,” answered the boy.

“Roger, go to the wash basin and wash your face,” said the woman. She let him go. At last, Roger looked at the door—looked at the woman—looked at the door and went to the basin.

“Let the water run until it gets warm,” she said. “Here’s a clean towel.”

“Are you taking me to police?” asked the boy.

“No. Have you been home to eat yet?”

“There’s nobody at my house,” said the boy.

“Then we’ll eat,” said the woman. “I know you’re hungry. So you tried to snatch my purse.”

“Sorry,” said the boy, bowing his head.

“Well. You didn’t have to do that.” added Mrs Jones, “You could have asked me.”

“Madam?” With water dripping from his face…

She heated some beans and ham, made the cocoa, and set the table. Then she cut him a half of her ten-cent cake.

Late at night, she led him down the hall to the front door. “Good night!” she said, looking out into the street as he went down the steps.

The boy wanted to say “Thank you, Madam” to Mrs. Jones. His lips moved, but he could not even say that as he turned at the foot of the steps and looked up at the large woman. Then she shut the door. And he never saw her again.

Zhang Guimei, the headteacher of Huaping Female High School in Yunnan Province, was the winner of the touching China 2020 national prize on February 17, 2021. She has put all her efforts to the education in poor areas of Yunnan Province for many years.

Zhang Guimei was born in Heilongjiang in June, 1957. She started working in December, 1975. And in 1998, she joined the Communist Party of China (中国共产党) in the month of April.

In 2000, Zhang worked at the Yunnan Children’s Home. After seeing the difficult situations of many poor families, she hoped to set up a girls’ high school in poor areas.

In 2007, Zhang attended the 17th National Congress (全国代表大会) of the Communist Party of China. She told her dream to the public. It has led to wide attention of society. After a year, she set up Huaping Female High School. Girls from poor families could study for free in her school. Since the school was built, 1, 645 girls have graduated from colleges. However, Zhang’s body got worse and worse. She had more than 10 diseases (疾病). Zhang said, “It is enough for me to see girls become better and happier. That is the greatest comfort for me.”

Zhang Guimei devoted (奉献) herself to education and children’s development in poor areas. The public is deeply moved by her. Because of her, each of us decides to try our best to help more children.