Donations pour in after ‘Ice Boy’ frozen trek to school moves China
Primary school in rural Yunnan province gifted US$15,000 after child’s chilly commute touches hearts across the country
Donations have flooded in after a picture of young boy with his hair and eyebrows covered in ice after a long trek to school during freezing temperatures in a poor area of western China went viral online.
The boy’s father has also been offered a job in his hometown so he will no longer have to leave his family and work away from home.
The first batch of 100,000 yuan (US$15,370) was handed over by the local authorities to Zhuangshanbao primary school in a rural area of Zhaotong in Yunnan province, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The photograph widely shared on social media in China showed Wang Fuman as he arrived at school after walking about 4.5km (2.8 miles) from home.
His hair and eyebrows were covered in frost and his cheeks red with cold after he walked in freezing temperatures in thin clothing.
Wang is a “left-behind child”, a term used to describe youngsters from poor families whose parents work in cities away from home. The amount of care and support given to left-behind children by the authorities has regularly sparked debate on social media in China in recent years.
Also, 144 items of warm clothing and heating equipment were donated by an engineering firm, the People’s Daily said. The company is also behind the job offer to Wang’s father.
State television quoted the boy as saying: “I’m so happy because many people are helping me and have given me many gifts.”
Wang’s father returned from working away home after his son’s photograph became a viral sensation.
The Yunnan Youth Development Foundation said it had received over 1.9 million yuan in donations by Thursday afternoon.
The foundation also plans to deliver donations to other left-behind children in nine different cities in Yunnan.
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