Stories

Not only ours, but theirs too

vPal works with different local agencies in Shanghai to enrich the summer experience for our volunteers. But more importantly, we establish long term partnership with charitable organizations like Prop Roots in Yunnan, China.

Shenglei He was a troubled young teen when he first joined Prop Roots. His life was turned around when the organization raised enough fund to send him to a trade school to learn hairdressing skills. This opportunity enabled him to experiment and find his true passion: tattoo art.

Earlier in 2018, when vPal reached out to Prop Roots, the co-founder, Mrs. Li, explained that raising money to get Shenglei a tattoo machine wasn’t an easy task since local donors were disapproving of his new career choice. Mrs. Li, saw Shenglei’s potential and continued to fight for him. “It is his passion. I know he will work hard and be good at it” she said. “He has practiced for months on paper… but now he needs a tattoo machine to do the real thing.”

When vPal heard Shenglei’s story, we immediately recognized that he was the exact type of person that we were looking to help. To be more specific, he was someone who few were willing to help. Prop Roots, being an incredible organization, still lacked the funding to purchase a tattoo machine for Shenglei. vPal chipped in and our volunteers, using the earnings made from teaching, were able to purchase a brand new tattoo machine for Shenglei to practice on. Now, he can make a living doing what he loves!