Yuxin experienced the Ludian earthquake when she was 2 years old living in a single parent reconstituted family. As the eldest in the family, she not only does housework on weekends, but also takes care of her four younger siblings. Her parents are busy making a living, she rarely has got the loving care from them. This kind and sensible girl always walks for 2 hours back and forth school and home on weekends to save 10 yuan on transportation. With low self-esteem, she always walks with head down and keeps hair long, letting the bangs cover her face.
Yuxin graduated from junior high school in June this year and she was admitted to a senior high school with excellent grades, but the girl was unable to do anything for the upcoming further education because other classmates had new suitcases and brand new daily necessities while she didn’t. Yuxin is aware of the predicament of her family so much so that she doesn’t dare to ask her parents for new luggage and other items.
The Salvation Army learned about the situation from the school and provided her with assistance. She not only received financial support for living materials, but also received psychological counseling and encouragement through communication with the Salvation Army project officers. She realized that although she couldn’t change her background and family, she could start by accepting the imperfect family and then changing herself. The first thing Yuxin did was to face and accept who she is, a youthful girl. She finally tied up her hair and no longer let the bangs cover her face. Everyone saw her youthful and confident smile in the group photo taken after receiving the distributions from the Salvation Army.
More and more students in rural area, like Yuxin, who are in the same predicament, regain confidence in life and study through the support of the Salvation Army and their schools. They study harder with a longing for better futures and are getting out of their predicament to realize their ideals step by step.
The Salvation Army (Hong Kong) Yunnan Office
