Hardworking student gets much-needed relief

Ma Yufeng, a high school graduate, works at a construction site in the less-developed Huining county, Northwest China’s Gansu province, on Aug 16, 2011. The poverty-stricken county is famous for its emerging top scorers in the National College Entrance Exam, thanks to which, Ma got the chance to study at Beijing’s Central University of Nationalities this year. However, the expensive tuition was hard on his five-member family, who earn 3,000 yuan ($ 446) annually from farming and struggle to make ends meet. So Ma has to work at a construction site for his whole summer vacation, working 10 hours for 50 yuan per day. However, there is some good news - a local charitable society financed 47 underprivileged students 5,000 yuan each, including Ma. “I feel so relieved. But I will keep doing part-time job to support my family and myself,” Ma said. [Photo/Xinhua]