Leveraging star power for charity

In 2015, former NBA star Yao Ming stepped away from his busy schedule to take on a role he had never explored before — for 12 days, the basketball legend worked as a physical education teacher at a primary school in Baishi town, Guang'an city, in Southwest China's Sichuan province.

Although Yao lacked coaching experience and the school's facilities were rudimentary, the brief stint left an indelible mark on him. He vividly recalls a teenager surnamed Liang who showed a burgeoning passion and talent for basketball despite having never played the sport.

"In one training class, Liang secretly sneaked over to give me a cookie, whispering, 'Teacher, the class is taking a long time, are you hungry?' I was so pleased as I felt it was a form of communication," recalls Yao during a speech he delivered at the 2024 Star Talks, a celebrity public-speaking program produced by the Lichun Studio affiliated with Tencent News.

Star Talks was initiated in 2016 and has gathered nearly 100 celebrities from different fields to share their most cherished memories and insights about their lives and careers. This year's edition was held as a special program to highlight the 99 Giving Day, an annual public philanthropy campaign launched by Tencent in 2015.

Alongside eight other celebrities, Yao delivered a 10-minute speech, primarily reflecting on his experiences and thoughts about the past 16 years since he established the Yao Foundation — a charitable organization dedicated to supporting youths in underdeveloped regions, aiding them in achieving all-around healthy growth in areas such as sports, nutrition and psychology.

In the early years of his foundation, he advised volunteers not to bring smart devices to rural schools. Yao wanted them to approach the countryside children cautiously, aiming to prevent the children from discovering the stark contrast between their hometown and the outside world.

"However, society is evolving rapidly. With the widespread use of smartphones, we have observed that children and teenagers in rural areas, particularly the 'left-behind' children (whose parents work in cities, leaving them in the care of older relatives), are facing health issues due to smartphone addiction," he says during the speech.

"This challenges the traditional notion that rural children usually engage in outdoor activities like running in fields, climbing mountains and playing in streams — a stereotype that no longer holds true," adds Yao.

The sports star also warns that many rural children, lacking sufficient outdoor activities, exhibit a lower level of basic athletic abilities such as endurance, speed, strength and balance compared to their urban counterparts.

Zhang Liyi, director of Lichun Studio and the Star Talks producer, tells China Daily that the program initially drew inspiration from TED Talks.

Typically, celebrities express their thoughts through interviews, but delivering a public speech enables them to freely articulate what they wish to convey, making a heartfelt connection with the audience, Zhang explains.

"We aspire for celebrities to candidly reveal their inner thoughts and share their experiences and perspectives on various charitable causes with the public. This aims to pique public interest and motivate more individuals to engage in charitable endeavors through this year's program," she adds.

Aside from serious topics and touching moments, the livestream of the speeches was sometimes funny. One such moment occurred when Yao, standing 2.26 meters tall, took the stage.

"We thought about adjusting the height of the props and backdrop screen to match Yao's stature. However, when the day arrived and he walked onto the stage, the props appeared as small toys. We joked that most of us looked like dolls standing next to him," Zhang says.

Another intriguing memory for Zhang stems from a speech given by Huang Zihongfan, a singer who recounted his experience working as an animal caregiver at the wildlife shelter and rescue center in Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo for a day.

Huang was tasked with a special assignment — cleaning a cage spanning nearly eight square meters. This enclosure housed over 20 birds, predominantly parrots, along with two Chinese bamboo partridges, a feisty crested mynah, and two common hill mynahs that incessantly emitted sounds resembling an electric car alarm.

In the cage, Huang remembered hearing a peculiar sound from a parrot that consistently mimicked human speech, as if conversing with someone. Initially intrigued, Huang engaged with the parrot, only to later feel a sense of cruelty upon learning from the zoo caretaker that the bird had been abandoned by its owner.

"The bird had been conditioned to speak in response to humans, potentially compromising its innate survival skills in the wild," Huang explains in his speech.

Huang also shared his observations of pets, vividly describing a cat at his friend's house that is cool, independent and enjoys hiding and playing on its own. "I was very curious about the cat and often stared at it, imagining how my perspective of the world might change if I were in its place," says Huang.

"Huang offers a fresh perspective that sparks an intriguing discussion on animal protection. It serves as a reminder of how humans should treat animals as equals rather than looking down on them and acting as benefactors," comments Zhang.

Female celebrities have demonstrated strength, bravery and insight in their fields. For instance, TV host-turned-entrepreneur Yang Lan addressed the topic of artistic education in rural areas. Actress Tao Xinran shed light on the greater challenges girls face in rural areas compared to boys. Duan Rui, the wife of successful businessman Cai Lei who was diagnosed with a terminal disease, discussed how she manages the financial burden to support her husband's research for a cure.

Zhang says they hope that the heartfelt stories the celebrities share will inspire compassion, motivating more individuals to engage in charitable events and understand the essence of giving.