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It was 10pm in mid-May when the plane landed at Zhangjiajie Airport in Hunan Province. After another 2 hours of a bumpy bus ride through light rain and mountain terrain, the volunteer group arrived at Yongshun County, an area surrounded by mountains.
This time, the visiting group consisted of a mix of old members who have visited the children since the beginning of the volunteer program for orphan aid, as well as new members who just recently joined the charity program.
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For two and a half days, the volunteer group interacted with and played games with over 80 children from the neighboring villages and towns of Yongshun County. They also brought kitchen staples like rice and oil to their homes and learned about the children’s living conditions.
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When this little girl met the volunteers for the first time, she was so silent and seemed uneasy in reaction to everyone's enthusiasm. It was not until she saw a photo taken of her and her grandmother that her face broke into a precious smile, which was so pure, beautiful and warm. As she left, a volunteer promised to send the photo to her, and she nodded happily upon hearing those words.
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The grandmother resides with two grandchildren who both have congenital thrombocytopenia. When we left, the little brother suddenly took out a bottle of yogurt for a volunteer to drink.
In their bedroom, there is nothing except for a bunk bed and two small, cluttered desks.
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Growing up with his sister in their aunt's home, Xiaopeng was thought of as one of the “slow kids” in the first grade, and he could never seem to win a game of backgammon.
Now, he is the class monitor and student committee member of his fourth grade class – known as a warm-hearted student who helps his classmates buy meals in the school canteen.
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Over the past 12 years, with the help of our team of volunteers, some of these children have since entered high school full of optimism and confidence, ready for a new life. On top of that, some children have been admitted to universities and even entered the workplace. They are creating a better life with their own hands.
For the first time, Xiaojie has been included in the student aid program. She is an excellent student who received 1040/1200 in the high school entrance examination. Xiaojie likes geography, so she chose liberal arts as her major.
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The four older children in the middle beaming with smiles have been receiving education subsidies for more than a decade. They are now third-year high school students, and will take the college entrance examination in a few days. We asked them if they knew which direction they want to pursue in their next stage of education. The girl responded, " I like painting, and I want to be a designer."
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Xiaoying (center of the back row), who grew up in the orphanage, once wanted to be a teacher so that she could go back to the orphanage to teach younger kids. Now, she has chosen to go study at the Health School and pursue her dreams of being a nurse.
The three sisters in the picture above entered the charity project in 2013. Ten years ago, they were shy and introverted. Now, they have entered vocational school and have since become talkative, cheerful and enthusiastic.
During the bus ride on the way back, the children's happy, sunny and sometimes sweetly shy faces were constantly popping into our minds. The pure, genuine look in their eyes expressed to us how they have grown up healthily.
As one primary school principal told the volunteers during our visit, what these children need is to be awakened to recognize their own capabilities, to be treated as equals, and be motivated to have a vision for the future. This is also the purpose of our project – to appear in their lives at the right time, play a beneficial role, and at the same time, enjoy the pleasure of their company.
Mountains may limit their mobility, but they cannot limit children's dreams. So, please remember – do not give up!
