Put on the eyes of your imagination and think of how the world will be like if the privileged and financially endowed few in the society would swing to action, providing services that promote the welfare of others, especially through generous donations of money to good causes? I bet the world would definitely become a better place.
Some individuals who have acknowledged this truth have swung to philanthropic action, with activities that not only impact on lives positively but also inspire the next generation.
In this “Me First” era where most of the money bag citizens just clamor to use their wealth as a tool for more wealth, only a few individuals still consider philanthropy as a necessary tool towards the development of a nation. Therefore, it is of uttermost importance to celebrate the few selfless icons who have distinguished themselves as figures of indispensable ladder to greatness.
One of such personalities is the founder and Chairman of Beijing Orient Landscape; Madame He Qiaonv. This Chinese philanthropist has given not just a helping hand to her country, but also her heart to making the dreams of many a reality.
Born in east China’s Zhejiang Province in 1966 to a family who ran a successful business of buying and selling seedlings, she found her path of philanthropy at an early stage in life. Later on, she headed to Beijing Forestry University, emerging with a bachelor’s degree in 1988, before heading back to the family firm and spotting a gap in the labor market.
He Qiaonv is one of the founders of the China Global Philanthropy Institute, and a member of Mulan Club, a group of female business leaders in China that donated $44 million to Peking University to foster entrepreneurship by women. Her philanthropic desire propelled her to establish the Beijing Qiaonv Foundation which is devoted to support Panthera, an organization known for protecting the world’s wild cats. She stands out as one of the few individuals with the largest-ever personal philanthropic commitment to wildlife conservation.
He Qiaonv’s burning desire to better the life of others inspired her to adopt a diversified approach in her philanthropic acts, as she have impacted in different sectors of the Chinese economy. It is not strange to describe Qiaonv as an epitome of selflessness, seeing that her philanthropic acts spread across different sectors of her country.
He Qiaonv’s foundation has set up projects that ensure a wide range of environmental safety such as tackling hazardous waste, polluted water systems, disappearing bodies of water, soil erosion and climate change. It is no doubt that her outstanding leadership qualities has placed her in the spotlight.
The Qiaonv Foundation was established in 2012 and has quietly been spreading its force in the past years, benefiting environmental groups, ecological think tanks, international cooperation, arts organizations, traditional culture, women’s entrepreneurship incubators, and more.
She is not just a philanthropic heroine but a philanthropic influencer who encourages others to involve in philanthropy. She has engaged in a number of effective partnerships and this has helped in extending her philanthropic acts. Gates and He Qiaonv have established a college for international social good in Shenzhen in south China’s Guangdong Province along with three other collaborators who hope to progress the philanthropic spirit in the Middle Kingdom.
Her undying love to conserve the natural resources in her country has singled her out as an ardent conservationist who is raising a culture of environmental awareness, thereby creating a safe country for her people, as well extending a helping hand to less privileged citizens in China.
Despite being an active player in philanthropy, He Qiaonv is also a top-notch business personality. She is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Oriental Garden Company in Beijing, one of China’s largest landscape architecture firms. Through the works of this great philanthropist, it is quite glaring that the cure our world needs lie in the hand of selfless citizens who will effect the change they want to see in the society.
