Gratitude Gate: China’s Philanthropists Hurting Fundees’ Feelings – Southern Weekend

 Dy C 2007-08-30 U2004P1T1D13777961F21Dt20070830103242Helping poor college students has become a magnet of controversy and heated national debate, with “generous” funders asking for a lot of gratitude. Translated from Southern Weekend:

Duan Dongren, a pseudo-name for a college student from Baokang mountainous area (‰øùÂ∫∑±±Âå∫), was a recipient of 1,000 yuan from a woman entrepreneur in Hubei‘s Xiangfan City (Ë•ÑÊ®ä). To receive the money, Duan hopped onto a bus from his rural home at 7am for a six-hour ride to downtown Xiangfan for a funding ceremony. “We’ve never seen such a big conference hall and this many fashionably-dressed aunts and officials,” some funded students recall.

Like other fundees, Duan also went through a “mentally tortuous” process, singing “heart of gratitude” and dancing on stage along with the generous donors. During the five-minute song, Duan recalled, he felt the second froze on him, his hands and feet felt glued to the ground and the harsh lights stung his eyes. At his home, there are only four 30-watt light bulbs.

Many students like Duan went through the fancy ceremony to receive their financial assistance. But many later chose not to show up at a second such event, and didn’t even write a letter of thanks to the donors, according to the Xiangfan’s workers union, which organized the donation extravaganzas on behalf of the women entrepreneur-philanthropists.

Two thirds of the funded students didn’t write a letter to their donors, according to the workers union. “We don’t want to help those students without a sense of gratitude,” said a donor with anger.

While many students are losing a helping hand, the issue soon grabbed national attention and triggered a lot of press and online discussions. On the other side from annoyed donors, many of the students who have gone through the award ceremony have a huge load of grievances. Some students were so embarrassed at the ceremony that they went silent while being called to make remarks of thanks in front of a crowd. Some couldn’t control their emotions and broke into tears. A girl felt so hurt that she gave up the donation right on stage.

“It’s too embarrassing to be a poor man,” said a boy, in grungy clothes, later said in his mother’s arms.

Some say the students are to blame, for their lack of gratitude. Others think the donors aren’t supposed to ask for gratitude. “Why did you give out that money in the first place?”

[Image: Assistance award ceremony themed “Heart of Gratitude” requiring assisted students coming on stage with remarks of thanks in Xiangfan (Ë•ÑÊ®ä), Hubei.]

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