The "Never Give Up" Spirit Behind 961 Students: An 11-year-long Love Marathon By A Group Of People

On the evening of January 8, 2026, winter was in full swing, but at the Pearl Home where the Zhejiang Xinhua Compassion Education Foundation is located, warmth was surging like a spring tide. Here welcomed a group of special family - Huabao AAG team of Hope For Pearl donor representatives. They came from all directions to attend this warm gathering.

From The Fields To The World: A Journey That Took Seven Years

"Seven years ago, I was cutting grass in the fields of Jianchuan, Yunnan Province."

Standing on the stage, Hu An's voice was calm, yet it made everyone present hold their breath. This pearl student from the Huabao AAG Singapore Pearl Class of the Fourth Middle School in Xiangyun County, Yunnan Province, was sharing his story. 

From his hometown Jianchuan to Xiangyun, and then to Xi'an for his studies, he is now a graduate student at the National University of Singapore. This seven-year-long journey is backed by a relay of love and kindness.

“The Hope For Pearl Programme and AAG’s support felt like a solemn rite,” Hu An shared. “It was a declaration that an ordinary life had been carefully embraced into a much larger network of goodwill.”

What moved him most was this realisation: “My struggle is no longer a lonely, aimless journey. My future now stirs the care and hope of many strangers, warm and unseen.”

As this quiet, introverted young man found the courage to speak about his family and upbringing, the room erupted into long, heartfelt applause.

A Hug That Touched The Hearts Of Every One Present

After his sharing, the most moving moment unfolded quietly. Hu An’s donor (endearingly termed ‘elder sister’) stepped onto the stage. There were no elaborate words, only a deep, lingering embrace. In that moment, time seemed to stand still, and tears welled uncontrollably in their eyes.

“Hu An's growth is the result of many hearts coming together,” she later shared. “A contribution of 7,500 yuan unlocked a powerful collective force of love. That is something truly remarkable.”

Her words were simple yet profound: “When we give, we do so without expectations. But when Hu An shared with me his growth, and that of his classmates, I realised that by expecting nothing, we received so much more. Charity is not the kindness of one person; it is the refusal of a community to give up.”

11 Years, A Group Of People's "Never Give Up" Spirit

In his introduction, Zhao Zhengyong, Project Manager of the Xinhua Compassion Education Foundation, painted a map of compassion - from Liping No. 4 Secondary School in Guizhou, to Xiangyun No. 4 Secondary School and Changning No. 1 Secondary School in Yunnan. Through the sustained support of the Huabao AAG team, 961 students have been able to pursue their dreams in school with peace of mind.

At the event, Lu Xiaohong, Deputy Secretary-General of the Foundation, presented a token of appreciation to the AAG team, thanking them for their continued support of the Hope For Pearl Programme from 2015 to the present.

Mr. Sunny Yap from AAG, Compassion Ambassador of the Worldwide Chinese Life Insurance Congress, shared his reflections: “Perhaps a single thought of kindness can change the world.”

He recalled the team’s visits to the pearl students: “A group of people gave their time and resources, travelling for two days just to reach a remote mountain village; to care, unconditionally, for children who were once strangers and may never meet us again. That is something truly rare.”

“Although we were together for only a few days, I hope that every word we spoke to them might change their lives. I find that deeply meaningful. Over the past 11 years, many people have stepped forward year after year. I believe AAG is truly remarkable.”

As Mr. Yap said, "a single thought of kindness can change the world." From the original calling of the Foundation’s founder Mr. Wang Jianxuan, to compassionate partners like AAG, and to the quiet dedication of principals and teachers from Pearl Class partner schools, the Hope For Programme has, over more than twenty years of practice, proven this truth:

When the kindness of ordinary people comes together, it becomes a force powerful enough to change destinies.

Every outstretched hand of love reshapes the course of a life. 

Grateful to the Huabao AAG team and all compassionate donors. 

Thankful for every single thought of kindness.

This article is translated from the original article: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/FMZqNZiP2GCy4LUM8mNg2w.