Principal Mo Zhengao was a truly selfless Hero #AoZChallenge

Mo Zhengao was no ordinary school Principal.
The monikor given to him by some may seem demeaning - the 'Begging Principal.'
To nearly twenty thousand students in Du'an Yao county high school over 30 years, he was known by a different name - 'Principal Dad.'

The mountainous regions of Guangxi province Duan Yao in China offer a harsh environment for economic development and rising beyond the clutches of poverty. And yet for over two decades, students from this impoverished region high school have consistently gotten into the top universities of the country and moved on to better prospects in China and around the world.

They would all return to Duan Yao in 2015 - young adults, businessmen and women, doctors and entrepreneurs alike - two generations of students standing beside each other unable to hold their tears back as they paid their last respects to the man who begged for their sake.

Even with the school waiving tuition and textbook/dormitory expenses, the amount required to keep the children going to school was beyond most families in the region, something that always hurt Principal Mo Zhengao. Every time a student dropped out of school, he would personally visit the parents and plead to allow the child to return, promising and ensuring the parents did not have to pay a single cent.

To get these funds, Mo Zhengao put his pride aside and would go to every charity, company and philanthropist he heard of and beg for his students - "My student has tested into university, but doesn’t have the money to go, so can you help?”

Over the decades, he raised over 30 million yuan (~ Rs 27 crores) by personally pleading for donations, allowing more than 18,000 students to fulfill their dreams of going to college.

Even when he met former students who had moved up in life, he refused their tokens of gratitude, insisting they help the present students instead.

At school, Principal Zhengao's voice over the old public announcement system often broadcast words of kindness, be it asking them to have a nice day or informing them that 'soup had been prepared in the cafeteria so students who had been stuck in the rain should go drink it.' Even 10 days before he passed away, while lying sick at home, he called the school to request the cook to cook glutinous rice balls (a dish eaten during the Lantern Festival) and ensure every student got at least 10 of them for free.

It was important for him that every young boy and girl know that they were valued and that they had a bright future ahead.

On the day of his funeral, flower wreaths across the county were sold out. 

When he passed away, students and teachers both sat together in class, crying for the father figure they had lost. Professors from as far away as Harvard and Ohio sent their respects too. After all, once upon a time, they too had been saved by their Principal Dad.

Why you should remember Principal Mo Zhengao

Principal Zhengao spent his entire life doing everything to help children study under extreme conditions, ensuring they succeeded in life even if it meant he begged for 30 years for them.

This is the end of my #AtoZChallenge of 2017 where I was focusing on Real Life Heroes: Shining Examples of Kindness and Compassion. 

You can find the other real-life heroes here.