Yan Wenhui, a rural primary school teacher and former recipient of the Spring Bud project from Jinggangshan - the cradle of the Chinese revolution and a mountainous city in East China's Jiangxi province, poses for a group photo with her students. 

Yan Wenhui, 20, comes from a rural family in Nashan township of Jinggangshan, which is the cradle of the Chinese revolution and a mountainous city in East China's Jiangxi province. Her birthplace was mentioned in the popular revolutionary song, titled "Ten Farewells to the Red Army."

Yan had been through a difficult time when she first encountered the Spring Bud project in 2014. Since then, the spirit of the public welfare initiative and the Chinese revolution has influenced and guided her. She has always followed the principles of bravery, resilience and independence and remained grateful in the pursuit of progress, benevolence and beauty.

Courageously embrace challenges and setbacks

Yan's parents granted her with a childhood full of love, though the rural family wasn't well-off. Later, her mother gave birth to two more children, bringing the unit additional happiness.

However, Yan's father lost his life in an accident when she was a fifth-grade primary school student. The sudden death of her father plunged the family into deep distress and poverty.

After a while, Yan's mother took up several jobs alongside her full-time work, in a bid to earn more money for the family.

Meanwhile, Yan tried her best to support her mother by doing household chores and taking care of her young brother and sister.

Yan said that she didn't get anticipatory scores in her middle school entrance examinations because of the death of her father and added that it was the trust and love of her mother that eventually pulled her together again and encouraged her to study harder.

Thanks to the concerted efforts of all people in the family, they finally got out of the shadows of poverty and consistently improved their daily lives.

Grow up with the love and warmth of the Spring Bud project

Yan said that her life gradually returned to normal and she started to rank top among her classmates in middle school.

After learning of the Yan family’s difficulties, the local women's federation got in contact with her and helped her apply for a scholarship with the Spring Bud project in 2014.

Yan not only received financial assistance but also love and caring from the charitable initiative.

During her extracurricular time in middle school, Yan became a volunteer to speak with visitors about revolutionary stories, traditions, songs and the spirit associated with the former revolutionary base. She said that the experience helped her learn about revolutionary culture in Jinggangshan and firm up her personal will to go face any difficulties and challenges.

Despite ranking top among her peers city-wide, instead of going to a prestigious high school, Yan decided to study at a junior normal school, which enabled her to be a rural primary school teacher after graduation and helped save lot of money for the family.

During an interview, Yan said that she previously regretted her initial choice, which impacted her ability to attend university, but she added that she will continue towork hard and create a better future for herself and her family.

Become enthusiastic about education and public welfare programs

Yan gained solid academic knowledge, took part in a series of training activities, and acquired versatile talents in traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy while studying in junior normal school.

In addition, Yan also joined her classmates to visit local rural primary school students, provide them with free tutoring services, lecture them on revolutionary stories and traditions, and help them feel the warmth and strength of society.

After graduating from junior normal school, Yan became a teacher in a township-level primary school. It didn't take a long time for her to be assigned as a group leader among all teachers for first-grade students.

Yan has done her utmost to prepare for each class and strive to be a good guide in the lives of the children.

In her free time, Yan participates in a public welfare organization and extends love and compassion to disadvantaged children in nearby villages.

Yan said that she will stay committed to the original aspiration of a teacher and the participation in public welfare activities and make constant efforts to improve her professional competence in the midst of delivering love and warmth to those in need.