Ebulle Stephen poses for a group with the certificate conferred by the Taizhou government in recognition of his selflessness. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn]

Ebulle Stephen, a foreign teacher in Taizhou's Wenling city, was recently designated as a "Taizhou good person" for his volunteer services, making him the first expat from the city to win the honor.

Born in 1981 in Cameroon, Stephen set foot in China in 2007 before working as a foreign teacher in Wenling in 2011.

Since joining a volunteer team in Wenling in 2013, Stephen has participated in nearly 100 public welfare activities, raking up more than 200 hours of volunteer service.

After the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic last year, the expat created a video to teach people from his hometown how to contain the epidemic.

"True happiness is when you can make someone smile," said the Cameroonian, adding that volunteering gives him a chance to put a smile on people's faces.

"It's fun and meaningful, and I'll keep doing it," he added.

Stephen now has a Chinese wife and three daughters.

The foreigner expressed his fondness for China and Taizhou. He said China is a very friendly and great country and Taizhou people are kind and warm-hearted.

He pointed out that he fell in love with Wenling on his first trip to the city. "It is a very friendly city. I love the mountains, the sea and the people," he said.

There are many foreign volunteers like Stephen in Taizhou. The team of volunteers that Stephen is in has more than 40 foreigners.

Stephen said his children would accompany him during his volunteering activities.

"In Africa, we have a saying about how people derive more happiness from kindness than money. I want my daughter to learn to help and share from an early age," he said.