Behind Shenzhen's fast-paced development a sense of humanity remains, embodied by the quest of one migrant worker to support the city's poorest children.

Liu Deying, a 56-year-old from Guangdong's city of Meizhou has brought up four babies abandoned in the city and sent them to school over the past thirteen years.

Her feelings are simple: "I just cannot let them cry and die in the street they should go to school like anybody else and be useful to this society later."

Liu works as a waste collector, leaving home at four o'clock in the morning and always working until the dark of night. Because of her meagre income, she can only afford to feed the children congee.

"But I have never regretted adopting them," said Liu. "No matter how hard I have to work, I want them to grow up healthy like any other kids."

Liu's unselfish love has touched the whole society. "Liu teaches us a very vivid lesson as to what real unselfish love is," said Zhou Linxiang, Party committee secretary of Shenzhen Bao'an district.

Bao'an education bureau director Zheng Yingtong and his colleagues visited Liu and her special family in No. 1 industrial zone in Bao'an's Fuyong street, bringing Liu's four little girls bags, school textbooks and uniforms, stationery and other daily necessities. "We will do whatever we can to help Liu's family," Zheng said.

Liu's love is also moving teaching staff in Qiaoxing School and Fuxing School, where Liu's four adopted girls are studying. Liu's oldest daughter is doing first grade in Qiaoxing School while the other three are still primary school students in Fuxing School.

"We have already waved bus fees, school uniform fees and board expenses for the four sisters and we have also decided to waive their tuition fees completely," said a school official.

"It means that the four girls will enjoy nine years' compulsory education free of tuition we will ensure that the four kids receive equal education and study happily in our schools and we want each of them to become someone who can contribute to our society," he added.

(China Daily February 17, 2007)