He Chunyu, 44, at Lingshan Township Middle School in Wangkui county, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In the past decade, He Chunyu has donated about 20,000 yuan (approximately $3,000) to more than 300 poor students in his school.

He, 44 and a Chinese teacher at Lingshan Township Middle School in northeast Heilongjiang's Wangkui county, raised the money by selling discarded plastic bottles, paper and other waste products he collected.

He was born to an impoverished rural family and completed his studies through financial assistance from relatives and villagers.

He decided to return to his hometown after graduation in 1998.

"When I learned some of my students would drop out of school because of poverty, I was quite uneasy," he said. "However, I had no better way to help them due to my low income at the time."