Most of our American readers may not have ever heard of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards but they are they Taiwanese version of the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded to those who go above and beyond to help humanity. This year's winners include Filipino Romulo Davide, who helped farmers fight pest infestation on rice, bananas and other crops; Indian Kulandei Francis, head of a village self-help group; Syeda Rizwana Hasan, an environmental lawyer from Bangladesh; Cambodian agronomist Yang Saing Koma who helps farmers' improve rice production; Indonesian Ambrosius Ruwindrijarto who is fighting to stop illegal logging; and Chen Shu-chu, a Taiwanese vegetable vendor who has donated over 7 million Taiwan dollars ($231,800) to several children's charities.
Chen Shu-chu isn't a rich person, she sleeps on the floor of her small home and her education stopped after the sixth grade, but her donations have helped build a library and provided food and shelter for at risk children as well as families displaced by disasters.
"Money serves its purpose only when it is used for those who need it," she said. "I feel happy whenever I could help other people."
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