After donating the 44,400 yuan raised through his walking fundraising campaign to impoverished elementary school students in Guizhou, Yan Jiaman, also known as “Flatbed Truck Brother,” a resident of Ruanjiatai Community on Hanshuiqiao Street in Chukou District, took a train for over 20 hours back to Wuhan yesterday. “I’m a bit physically tired, but I’m very happy inside,” said Yan Jiaman.
Flatbed Truck Brother Yan Jiaman (back row, first from right) with the students he helped
Two years ago, a set of photos of “Flatbed Truck Brother” Yan Jiaman from Han Zheng Street went viral online, drawing admiration from countless netizens. Due to Yan’s consistent good deeds, willingness to help others, and acts of bravery, the Central Civilization Office awarded him an honorary certificate as a “Chinese Good Samaritan” last year.
“Now, both of my children have graduated from university, so I don’t have much financial burden,” said Yan Jiaman. But in the past, in order to raise tuition fees for his children, he also faced many rejections. During the toughest times, he received help from others, which has made him feel grateful ever since. Last year, Yan Jiaman saw news reports on TV about impoverished children in Guizhou having difficulty attending school. He secretly resolved at the time that he had to find a way to help these children, “Just as a way to give back to society.”
On February 28 of this year, 48-year-old Yan Jiaman set out on the road pulling his “old partner”—the flatbed truck. He added a canopy to the truck and printed his photo and a message on it, calling on kind-hearted people to care for impoverished children. He planned to walk northward and solicit donations from residents along the way. By August 30, Yan Jiaman had walked through 21 cities across three provinces—Hubei, Henan, and Hebei—including Xiaogan, Zhumadian, Luohe, Xuchang, Zhengzhou, Xingtai, Handan, Hengshui, Cangzhou, Tangshan, and Chengde. He wore out five pairs of sneakers, replaced three tires, and two sets of rims, ultimately raising 44,400 yuan in donations.
“This journey hasn’t been easy,” said Yan Jiaman. To save expenses, he ate steamed buns and pickled vegetables for nearly every meal and slept on the flatbed truck. After summer arrived, there were too many mosquitoes along the way, and he even figured out a pattern: mosquitoes are usually fewer after three or four in the morning, so he would sleep after four o’clock, and continue walking through the first half of the night. When he reached towns, he would set up a donation booth in crowded areas.
Despite the harsh conditions of the walking fundraising campaign, Yan Jiaman felt warmth: “Because of themedia coverage along the way, many people recognized me and warmly helped me.” Yan Jiaman recalled that a woman in her 40s in Cangzhou, Hebei, saw him eating moldy steamed buns and quickly brought him over 20 meat buns. In Xingtai, Hebei, a local charity team provided him with free accommodation and meals, and helped him with fundraising efforts.
Earlier this month, after returning to Wuhan with the donations collected from kind-hearted people along the way, Yan Jiaman approached the Hanshuiqiao Subdistrict Office in Chukou District, hoping to donate to impoverished students. After coordination by the subdistrict office, Yan Jiaman traveled specifically to Jiuzhou Town, Huangping County, Guizhou Province, where he donated 500 yuan in cash to each of 48 local elementary school students, as well as 200 new backpacks, 100 pencil cases, 200 erasers, 200 lunchboxes, and several basketballs, soccer balls, badminton rackets, and jump ropes. “The 44,400 yuan was all spent on the children,” said Yan Jiaman.
“This fundraising campaign has helped many impoverished students, and it’s very meaningful,” Yan Jiaman told reporters yesterday. He plans to continue his flatbed truck journey, heading south to Guangzhou to raise more funds for impoverished students.