Windy Shao

windysjf@hotmail.com

THE moving strains of “You Raise Me Up” filled a room at Shenzhen Daily’s office in Futian District on Sunday, as Chinese and international friends gathered to remember Francis Kwesi Hagan, a Ghanaian teacher and dedicated volunteer who devoted years to helping others in Shenzhen. Hagan died of an illness in Ghana on Oct. 1, leaving behind a legacy of kindness that continues to inspire the city’s volunteer community.

For many people in Shenzhen, Hagan’s kindness became widely known through a video filmed in June 2023. After heavy rain, a delivery rider fell with his electric bike outside Bao’an Stadium Metro Station. Hagan, wearing his signature red volunteer vest, rushed to help. The video spread across Chinese social media, receiving more than 100,000 likes.

Those who knew Hagan said the incident reflected his everyday approach to life.

“He was always there for everybody, with good advice, ready to help, ready to offer his time to others,” said Sava Tomoiaga, a Romanian who met Hagan in 2004 when they both taught at Shenzhen Bao’an China-UK College. They worked together for 10 years.

“His passion for volunteering was contagious,” she said, recalling how he encouraged colleagues to take part in community activities and brought people together to help others.

Hagan arrived in Shenzhen in 2004 and registered as a local volunteer in 2007. His service covered environmental protection, recycling education, cultural exchange, activities for older adults and major public events, including the 2011 World University Games. He also helped foreign residents navigate public services and assisted people in need in everyday situations.

In May 2020, Hagan became head of the Bao’an International Youth Volunteer Service Station, known as a U-station, becoming the first foreign national to lead a volunteer service station in Shenzhen. He helped establish an international youth volunteer team, bringing together around 50 young people from more than 10 countries and regions, including Russia, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, the United States and the United Kingdom.

“Volunteers have no nationality, and helping others needs no reason,” said Wang Bing, deputy head of the Bao’an Stadium U-station, recalling Hagan’s words when recruiting international volunteers.

Shenzhen’s U-stations provide information and assistance to residents and visitors at public spaces and major events. The city now has more than 4.2 million registered volunteers, including around 27,000 foreign volunteers, reflecting the growing participation of international residents in community service.

Teodora Pesic, a Serbian artist and longtime Shenzhen resident, remembered Hagan as a polite and protective gentleman known affectionately as “Papa Ghana.”

“He was like a protective gentleman,” she said, adding that his example inspired her to become involved in volunteering in Shenzhen. Pesic now volunteers in Futian District.

Beyond community service, Hagan helped share Shenzhen’s stories with international audiences as a Shenzhen Global Communication Ambassador. In 2024, he returned to Ghana to visit the Sunon Asogli Power Plant, a project invested and operated by Shenzhen Energy Group, helping tell the story of China-Africa cooperation.

His sister, Dorcas Nkrumah, said Hagan considered Shenzhen his second home and hoped to build a bridge between people in China and Ghana.

At the memorial, friends remembered not only his achievements but also the warmth he brought to everyday encounters. As Hagan once wrote on social media, “In Shenzhen, you have a beautiful heart.” His example lives on in the volunteers he inspired and the people who continue to help others in the city.