Outstanding Disabled Persons Receive HK AwardA prolific writer and a village teacher in China's hinterland areas have been granted a Hong Kong award for their tremendous courage and achievements in dealing with disability and misfortune.Rotary Club of Admiralty in Hong Kong presented its Outstanding Disabled Persons Award 2000 to writer Liu Shui and teacher Wei Yingjiang today. They both received a trophy, a certificate of merit and a cash prize of 10,000 HK dollars (about 1,300 US dollars). Born in a poor family in northwest China's Gansu Province, Liu Shui was left paralyzed after an illness when he was about two. He began to write fiction in the 1980s. The 35-year-old writer has published a good number of stories, poetry, and essays since 1983. He is a member of the China Writers' Association and one of Ten Outstanding Disabled Writers in China. "It is the love of literature that has helped me deal with my condition," said the writer who is confined to a wheelchair. Wei Yingjiang, who suffers from polio, was determined to launch a school for his neighborhood in a remote mountainous village in southwest China's Guizhou Province. In order to purchase textbooks and stationery for poor students, he donated 1,000 yuan (about 120 US dollars) which he had saved for his wedding. "The award winners have demonstrated outstanding ability in their personal endeavors and their commitment to the community," said Cheng Kai from the Chinese Disabled Persons' Federation. This is the eighth year in which the Award has been held in Hong Kong and China's inland areas, which aims to "provide an incentive to all disabled people who seek further advancement in areas of personal achievement and public service." Ten disabled Chinese have been given awards so far. |
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