The organization came into being in 2004, created by Zheng and a dozen volunteers, some of whom were gays, male sex workers and transvestites.

"What we can do is very limited," says Zheng. "We issue free condoms and courses on AIDS prevention to sex workers, and help them receive medical treatment when they contract VD."

They were the first batch of men who seriously paid attention to male sex workers, caring about their private life, health conditions and inner thoughts. And now they are adding street girls, the lowest rank of prostitutes, to their care list.

"Every year, we help a total of 2,000 to 3,000 sex workers with condoms, courses and medication, but we don't know exactly how many people are living life as a sex worker," says Zheng.

He recalls the time when he took a group of female sex workers, aged between 40 and 50, to have a health check at Hongkou District Disease Control Center.

The center official told Zheng privately that she couldn't tell those ayis (aunts) were sex workers from their appearance.

"Neither can I," replied Zheng. "They are not creatures in a parallel world, they are right beside you. But do you often take a walk in the city's suburban areas at 1am? That's when and where their work begins."

Their organization shrinking to only four full-time volunteers now working in a 35-square-meter office on Xinjiang Road.

"People come and go because it is not easy to take a job confronting sex workers," says Zheng. "I would like to take my heart from my chest and put it on the table in front of them to show my sincerity, not everyone could do that if you are only driven by the curiosity of approaching and studying them to finish your essay."

Shanghai Leyi members knocked on the doors of dozens of local and other provinces' charity organizations seeking help and donations to keep their service running.

Zheng has a salary of 4,000 yuan (US$599.5) per month, while his three colleagues have to take on several other part-time jobs because they are only paid 2,000 yuan per month each, not enough to rent a house in the city.

But they are quite satisfied as Shanghai Leyi's fame is international despite the domestic media's silence. Plus their ideas and struggle to change people's attitudes toward sex workers is gaining more response from other similar organizations.

The achievement is not merely what they do, but what they think.

When talking about today's World AIDS Day, a chance for AIDS-prevention organizations to highlight their work, Zheng says they will be taking a good rest instead of promoting their own efforts.

"We've been doing AIDS-prevention work throughout the year. This should be the day when the public joins and takes charge of the course," he says.

And he says in a half-joking manner: "If everyone takes up the responsibility, we can retire and rest forever."

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