Yesterday, the Central Propaganda Department, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, and the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission jointly released the advanced deeds of the "Most Beautiful Retired Soldiers" in 2021, 2 advanced collectives and 17 advanced individuals won the title of "Most Beautiful Retired Soldiers" in 2021, and Zhang Zhiyong, "the most beautiful volunteer in the country" and the chairman of Shanghai Zhang Zhiyong Public Welfare Service Society, was on the list.
Pictured: Zhang Zhiyong is with the children of Yuanbao Primary School in Jiangzhen, Dafang County, Guizhou. Photo by Xu Shuyi (same below)
Zhang Zhiyong has been selected into the "China Good People List" and was rated as the "Most Beautiful Retired Soldier" in Shanghai, but the title that moved him the most was the "Abba" that the children in Yunnan and other places shouted him, which contained a lot of emotion and love: in the past 20 years, "Abba" Zhang Zhiyong and his team from Shanghai have donated more than 2.8 million yuan to yunnan, Tibet, Gansu, Guizhou, Xinjiang and other poor areas, donated more than 580 tons of various materials, benefiting nearly 50,000 poor students and more than 500 teachers.
Pictured: Zhang Zhiyong, the "most beautiful retired soldier" in the country
A few days later, 20,000 yuan was sent
In 2002, Zhang Zhiyong, who was engaged in business after retiring from the army, took 20,000 yuan of travel expenses to Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province. Under the blue sky and white clouds, I have not yet enjoyed the charming scenery, but I first saw the unkempt, yellow-skinned, and dilapidated classrooms of the children in the school. This made Zhang Zhiyong feel uneasy.
Zhang Zhiyong's first donation was donated to a child who was dependent on his blind grandmother, and 500 yuan was equivalent to the family's annual income. The bereaved child tugged at his cuff and timidly called out "Abba." Leaving school, Zhang Zhiyong's heart was heavy, and as soon as he closed his eyes, he was a child's clear and eager eyes. Because of this look and a "Abba", Zhang Zhiyong decided to do more for the children here.
Pictured: Zhang Zhiyong took a group photo with students wearing new uniforms at Lei Feng Primary School in Xundian County, Yunnan Province, encouraging children to learn from Lei Feng
He then gave up travel and visited Menghai County, Dehong Prefecture, Honghe Prefecture and other places in Yunnan, where Zhang Zhiyong had to distribute the travel expenses to the children of poor families. Within a few days, 20,000 yuan was gone.
Since then, Zhang Zhiyong has plunged headlong into the public welfare undertaking of helping the poor and helping students in Yunnan: do his best, help one is one, and do the responsibility of a veteran.
Pictured: Zhang Zhiyong donated school uniforms, books and other materials to Leifeng Primary School in Xundian County, Yunnan Province
Walk through poor schools in the mountains
Back in Shanghai, Zhang Zhiyong sold his private car and license plate successively, took 60,000 yuan of money and went to Xishuangbanna to help the school buy daily necessities and sponsor students from families in need. Every time after "scattering money" in Yunnan, he returned to Shanghai and worked hard to make money, and after he had savings, he went to Yunnan to send money to the children, subsidize poor students, set up scholarships for school students, and comfort poor families.
Zhang Zhiyong is very generous to the children, but he is very harsh on himself, living in a small hotel of twenty or thirty yuan a day, and spending only 10 yuan a day on food.
No matter how difficult the mountain road is, no matter how remote the mountain village, it can't stop Zhang Zhiyong's steps. For nearly 20 years, he has traveled to poor schools in remote mountainous areas such as Honghe Prefecture and Menghai, using his personal savings and salary to buy clothes, daily necessities and school supplies and distribute them to children in poor mountainous areas.
Zhang Zhiyong and his team of volunteers are preparing to send more than 700 boxes of love supplies to Yunnan
Li Yaofen is a Hani girl from Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan Province, who fell ill as a child and had no money to treat her disability, so she could only crawl on the ground. Zhang Zhiyong helped Li Yaofen go to Shanghai for medical treatment after many contacts and fundraising. Through surgical treatment, Li Yaofen finally stood up, relied on her legs for the first time, and took a step. Li Yaofen, who returned to her hometown, walked to school every day, and once she was very inferior, she played with her classmates and smiled more and more.
In Menghai County, Zhang Zhiyong is very respected by the local people, they will ask him to name him when they have a child, build a house on the beam will invite him to drink, and the child will be admitted to school and find a job will give him the first time to announce the good news. Because, "'Shanghai Abba' is really good to us." ”
Build a new house for the volunteer teachers
In June 2014, with the support of all parties, Zhang Zhiyong established the "Shanghai Zhang Zhiyong Public Welfare Service Society", and through this love platform, the "upgrade" from "one-person gang" to "multi-person help" was realized. More well-wishers in the society donated money and materials through Zhang Zhiyong's public welfare organization to help poor students in the mountainous areas of Yunnan. One person's public welfare has become the public welfare of a group of people, and the road to charity has become wider and wider.
Pictured: Zhang Zhiyong communicates with primary school students in Menghai County, Yunnan Province
More than 200 families in the city donated more than 300 computers and 4,000 books, and cooperated with the Shanghai "Zhonggu Public Welfare Team" to help Build Regenerative Computer Classrooms and Libraries in Menghai Township, Menghai Township, Xiding Township, Xiding Township, Yunnan Province; set up a "Love Wall" in Menghai Farm in Menghai County, Menghai County, and donate more than 3,000 pieces of love clothing so far.
Zhang Zhiyong also implemented the "Glory Box - Volunteer Teacher Accommodation Support Plan" in Menghai County to build new houses for volunteer teachers. Containerized "houses" arrived in the mountains, with comfortable beds, practical writing desks, bookshelves, sofas and coffee tables, and toilets, which greatly improved the accommodation conditions of the volunteer teachers.
Photo: Zhang Zhiyong became the cover figure of the 10th issue of Lei Feng magazine in 2020
"Powerless" to help his son solve the marriage room
In 2020, affected by the new crown epidemic, Zhang Zhiyong, unable to travel far, threw himself into Shanghai's volunteer action of epidemic prevention and control around the clock and wholeheartedly, and donated 20,000 yuan and donated masks and other materials (equivalent to more than 60,000 yuan) for frontline epidemic prevention. He purchased, collected and transported a total of 2,400 boxes of materials in three batches, and donated desks and chairs, desks and chairs, electronic education supplies and other materials to poverty alleviation areas.
Zhang Zhiyong's poverty alleviation public welfare action has also added new content, he led the world's top 500 enterprise volunteers to open a "science classroom" in schools in poor areas of Yunnan, expanding children's horizons and opening their dreams and wisdom. This inspirational edutainment method is well received by school teachers and children, who praise it for injecting new vitality into poverty alleviation and education.
Pictured: Zhang Zhiyong is sorting out love supplies
As the "father" of the children in the mountainous areas, Zhang Zhiyong gave everything he wanted to love them, but he was "powerless" to help his son solve the marriage room, he and his wife could only vacate the more than 70 square meters of housing to their son as a marriage room to get married first, and the old couple moved out to rent a house. "Now that I have grandchildren and the children are no longer allowed to rent, we have moved back home." Zhang Zhiyong said, "My life is very satisfied, grateful for the support and care of the society, I will do better, life is endless, public welfare is not stopped, dedication to society." ”
This year, the 63-year-old Zhang Zhiyong has no intention of "retiring", still walking on the road of charity and public welfare with great enthusiasm, and his volunteer team is getting stronger and stronger, and 27 teams have been formed so far, with more than 1,000 volunteers. Together with Zhang Zhiyong, the volunteers received, sorted, transported and distributed all kinds of love materials, and passed on the love of "Shanghai Abba" to all places. "The more people who support me, the more I have to spend every penny and be responsible for every caring person and volunteer."
Xinmin Evening News reporter Jiang Yuezhong