10th July 2004
Written by Liao Zhaokai (Political Secretary of Changjiao)

Note: I am officially known as Le Nian Laoshi in Changjiao. Brother David Liao FSC.

Le Nian Laoshi and his contributions to Huliao Changjiao village.

Time really flies. Le Nian Laoshi has returned and served his home village for three whole years, providing free education to the local children. This need though born in a foreign land, is growing rapidly and productively in the soil of his native land.

In March 2000, Le Nian Laoshi retired from his teaching profession in Malaysia. He refused some high-paid offers but decided to serve the children in Huliao Changjiao village, the place where his grandfather was born. In the past three years, Le Nian Laoshi's efforts were highly recognized and welcomed by the students, and the number of students joining his programmes now keeps increasing. Not only are there local students, there are also students from the cities like Guangchou and Shenzhen in the summer classes.

Besides giving free education to the children, Le Nian Laoshi also supplies his students with free textbooks and teaching materials. He has helped the Changjiao local schools zealously by providing the school with funding to install necessary facilities and to implement educational activities. He also provides
scholarships to students who managed to achieve good improvement both morally and academically.

Le Nian Laoshi has shown compassion and dedication in his teaching. At the moment he is giving free English lessons in two local schools. He also gives tuition classes to other students in his spare time. Everyday, he wakes up at 5 and works from 6.30 in the morning till 8.30 in the evening. He even manages to add one computer class for adults after 8.30 p.m.!

Le Nian Laoshi is very serious in his teaching. Most students find his lessons interesting and effective. They all like him and respect him. Under his influence, most students have developed good learning habits and they are all regarded as the future hope of the village and our country. In order to enhance better learning outcome, Le Nian Laoshi renovated an old house which belonged to his nephew, and turned it into a clean and bright tuition centre last year. This year, he installed 10 computers and established the first free computer class in the local area.

For the convenience and safety of the students and with the support of the villagers, he changed the narrow and dangerous winding path outside his centre
into a much wider and safer small road. Even small vehicles can use this 60 meters long road.

Le Nian Laoshi is not a millionaire or entrepreneur. As a Chinese residing in a foreign land for most of life, his love and zeal for his Motherland called him
to return and serve his home village. He has taught in Malaysia for over thirty years and his students are in all walks of life. He knows very well that a strong China will surely strengthen the status of Chinese who are residing in foreign countries and providing free education to children is a way of contributing to a service to the Motherland.

His mission is widely supported by his relatives, friends and students. Every year, he has to travel between Malaysia and China twice to gather enough funding as he insists on providing free education. In order to ensure quality education to his students, he is very generous in installing teaching aids and other facilities.

However, he himself lives a very humble and simple life. He even painted all the chairs and tables in his teaching room himself. His meal is often just a cup of coffee with a few pieces of biscuits or bread.

When Le Nian Laoshi first returned to the village, some folks doubted that in this materialistic world, anyone would provide services without asking for something in return, and that of course, Le Nian Laoshi would give up his free tuition very soon.

Now, all the doubts and worries are gone. Now this foreign teacher has already become a member of the village, loved and respected by the children, parents and the villagers in the nearby villages. In Le NianLaoshi, they can see the genuine compassion and love for one's homeland.

- by Liao Zhaokai -