Working to protect the vulnerable

When Wang Keqin founded his NGO to help patients suffering from pneumoconiosis, it faced impending doom less than two weeks into its work.

Wang and his team received donations of only 2,500 yuan ($408) in the first 13 days after it was set up in June 2011.

"We were about to collapse," Wang said. "At that time, some team members had no confidence in the future and wanted to give up."