A 7-year-old girl sits by the front doorway of an earthen shelter in the small Ethiopian town of Balk. [Photo by Jun Cheng/provided to China Daily]

The image taken in 2012 shows a 7-year-old girl named Beitukan sitting by the front doorway－although there is no door－of an earthen shelter in the small Ethiopian town of Balk.

"Her eyes were full of hope, even though her family was poor. That really touched me," he explains.

Jun Cheng believes in destiny. He began to sponsor her.

He sent her family money so she could attend school. But he found all the money had been used to build a new house when he returned two years later.

"People there believe it's useless to educate girls," he says.