In China, rual areas are very poor and the school systems are not well funded. For the past 4 years we have supported a school in Kali City (small town of 600,000 people) Guizhou Province in SW China. The area has a high population of ethnic minorities, mostly Miao people – in the photo the older girls are wearing traditional Miao clothing. In 2013 we made a corporate donation through Project Hope, with our partner, to build a canteen to serve hot meals to the 375 students at the Jiuzhai elementary school. When we were there in the fall of 2013 the temperature was in the 30’s and the classrooms were unheated – the children had to sit all day in the cold without a hot meal. In addition to the corporate donation we also make personal donations to buy new school uniforms, stationary, books and sport suppiles for the children.
The school administration and the Communist Party Youth League always have the children put on native dances and other performances for us when we visit to check up on the work in progress. This year I got to speak to the entire student body – through an interpreter. I told them we – Terry and I – were very happy, that we had just gotten a call that your daughter Katie had given birth to a new little girl. The kids faces were all smiles as I told them this was our 21st granchild.
Then I explained that our oldest granddaughter – Emma – was killed in a tractor accident just 2 months earlier in August. Some of the children started to cry – they are very sweet kids. I explained that after Emma’s passing we found out from her friends and others all the great acts of kindness that Emma did for others. I asked them if they would do the same for their families and friends. I told them they would alwasys be remembered by their kindess to others- above anything else they did.
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