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SCMP Reporter

A group of students embarked on a life-changing trip to a children's home in Xining, the capital  of Qinghai province , last month to spend time with orphans.

The Xining Children's Home is managed by the charity Christian Action and the local government. It is  now home to 119 children.

More than  260 children have been housed there since it opened in 1998, with 40 having been adopted locally and 89 adopted overseas.

Qinghai, located on the northeastern side of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, is one of the poorest provinces in China.

It has  a harsh, high-altitude climate, poor infrastructure and an undeveloped education system.

It also has the highest rate of birth defects in the country.

About 90 per cent of the children in the home are disabled, with more than 20 per cent suffering from multiple disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, low mental capacity  or epilepsy.

Many of them were abandoned by their parents on the street, at train stations, in public lavatories or on the orphanage's doorstep.

Their plight is often the direct result of poverty. The poorest families in the region earn less than 200 yuan a year.

There is also a lack  of facilities for disabled children. Before the children's home opened,  there were only three welfare centres in the whole province. Elderly people, mental patients, orphans and disabled children lived in these centres together.

The seven Hong Kong International School (HKIS) students and their teacher were in Xining from June 18 to 25 to learn more about the orphanage and spend time with the children.

The orphanage's services include rehabilitation, special education and medical treatment.

HKIS has a  club that raises funds for the orphanage annually.

During the trip, the students found themselves constantly touched and enlightened by the children.

'There is one child who I will always remember because he draws with his feet,' said Diane Wang Bi-yun, 17.

'He grips the pen in between his big toe and second toe because he doesn't have that much mobility in his upper body. He doesn't give up. Since he cannot use his arms, he uses his feet instead.

'The children in the class drew us a picture together.'

Diane also recalled a boy in the class who offered a heartbreaking explanation of why  it rains.

The boy  liked to recall and act out stories.  One day, the class was talking about the rain and he explained where it came from.

'He said the moon and the stars were crying,' said Diane.

'I asked him why the moon and stars were crying and he said it was because they had no mother. I think the story shows how he feels.'

For Jamie Shih Yau-chu, 18, it was the third time she had visited the orphanage.

'I really miss the children when I'm not with them,' she said.

She recalled a 17-year-old boy there who has the intelligence of a 10-month-old baby.

'One day, when he was throwing a tantrum, he ran towards me and held me tight. I couldn't let him go  or he would start crying again.  I realised then  that the boy's situation  is very sad.'

Jamie said the children have inspired her to be  hard-working because  she has realised that not everyone is able to receive an education.

She now  buys fewer clothes because she knows  that even a small amount of money - if donated to the orphanage - can make a big difference to the children's lives.

'My experience with the children has motivated me to work harder,' she said.

To learn more about Christian Action and its programmes in Qinghai, including the Xining Children's Rehabilitation Centre which is due to open later this summer, call 2716 8862 or visit www.christianaction.org.hk



Meaningful mission