Charity that’s not just for show

Living in China, I find it hard to miss the annual Lei Feng Day in March. From top-ranked government officials and civil servants, to retirees and students, everybody is implored to reach out a helping hand to those most in need. In fact, it seems we all become "good Samaritans" - just for one day.

Universities and schools all plan events to mark Lei Feng Day, in remembrance of the selfless and patriotic hero who devoted his short life to helping others. Teachers and parents claim it is an important day to pass on the message and spirit of Lei Feng to the younger generation.

Shanghai Jiao Tong University has set up a car-pooling service where teachers and professors are encouraged to give students free rides between the school's two campuses in suburban Minhang district and downtown Xuhui district. Students have been told they can flag down a vehicle displaying a Lei Feng light on the dashboard.

The university's chief of student affairs, Zhu Jian, praised the pilot program as being "environmentally friendly," and as saving valuable time for students.

"Traveling between the two campuses on public transport takes about 90 minutes," he said. "If students can get a free ride, it will cut that time to only 40 minutes."

This program has been sugar-coated by local media who have unquestioningly praised this innovative and selfless act on the part of the professors. But I remain one of the few cynical observers who think this idea is both ridiculous and dangerous.

Road accidents in Shanghai claimed nearly 1,000 lives last year, and there are roughly 110 traffic accidents in the city every day.

What if a "Lei Feng" car gets into an accident? Is it the responsibility of the professor who is driving if any of the students are injured? Has the university taken out extra insurance to cover both students and professors? And perhaps the most important question is: How long is this program supposed to last?

Lei Feng Day garners a lot of media attention here, which means that schools and companies try to come up with novel ideas as a way of getting publicity on television or in newspapers. Most of the ideas are either one-off acts of selflessness, or elaborate stunts designed to get attention.

I did not grow up on the Chinese mainland and I only learnt about this selfless hero two years ago. But I can see that Lei is widely respected in the country for his devotion to helping others, and not just for short-term impromptu acts of charity.

The events organized across the city, I believe, are sending out the message that acts of charity are more about showing off than genuine altruism.

I believe a large part of this tragedy is a misunderstanding of what charity actually means. If this country wants to have a generation of helping hands in the future, people need to stop simply acting charitably in front of cameras, and start making charity a lifelong habit.