Garbage collector with heart of gold

Garbage collector with heart of gold

Li sorting out the garbage she collected

Li Yukun has long passed her retirement age of 50 in China.

But the 64-year-old sanitary worker and garbage collector begged to keep her job because she has more than 10 students to support.

Since 1998, Li helped 15 students from poor families.

She also donated 100,000 yuan (RM46,439) to victims of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and to other charitable causes.

Kang (left) burst into tears in Li's arms when they meet in Wendeng walking street

Kang Yujing is among students helped by Li. She had been receiving 1,000 yuan (RM464) from the kind-hearted grandmother yearly over the past four years.

After finding out the identity of her "angel", the Year Four undergraduate of Qufu Normal University decided to visit her.

When she saw Li sweeping the Wendeng street, Kang ran towards her and held her tightly.

She burst into tears, as she had never imagined that the money given to her was from such hard work.

"I had always thought that the philanthropist was a rich man called 'Uncle Li'."

Li counting her money before donating to a victim of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake at a post office in Wendeng city

Li, whose colleagues call "Iron Feet Li", has always spent all her money helping the poor and the underprivileged.

She leads a very simple life and lives in a crude home with an old donated TV set as the only appliance.

Wendeng's construction bureau gave her 50,000 yuan (RM23,220) for living expenses, but she has donated all of the money.

Li had also decided to donate her organs after death.

Source: Xinhua

Published Dec 27 2010