Blues centre-half Toto Nsiala has revealed he gives some of his wages to an orphanage back in his native DR Congo and also sends money to his mum and dad, who is paralysed.
The 26-year-old was born in Kinshasa before moving to Paris and then Liverpool. Having started playing football at 15, he was picked up by Everton's academy.
After being released by the Toffeemen in 2012, he went travelling and says his experiences in one country in particular had a significant impact upon him.
"Vietnam was a proper eye opener for me,” the former Shrewsbury man said in an interview in the programme for Saturday’s match against QPR.
"At that time, I didn’t have a job, I had no money coming in and I was getting depressed.
"But when I looked around and saw the poverty around me over there, yet the people were still happy about life. It put things into perspective for me. It made me realise what I did have in life.
"When I came back to England, every bit of money I earned I was grateful for. Everything I have earned now, I’m grateful for and now I give a lot back to the people who were there for me. That is an unbelievable feeling.
"My mum’s outlook on life has always been, ‘Whatever you earn, at least 10 per cent of that goes back to people who don’t have what you have’. "
"That is what I have always followed. Some of the money I get from playing football goes back to an orphanage in Congo.
"It may not be as much as famous people contribute to other places and charities but at least it’s helping 15, 20 people and that’s a blessing.
"I send some back to my mum and dad as well. My dad is paralysed. He doesn’t work and he and my mum have always been there for me.
"My dad was paralysed at the same time as I was released by Everton. That was a tough time but his outlook on life is so positive. I’m like that now.
"I’ll ring him up when we have lost or been on a disappointing run, like we have been here, and he’ll say, ‘You’re healthy, you’re doing what you love. Block out the negatives and concentrate on the positives’.”"