Rapid economic development throughout China has created a rich-poor gap, forcing millions of workers to emigrate from rural areas to the cities. This has caused millions of children to be left behind in rural areas under the care of relatives, mostly grandparents with little education.
In order to help these children, a project called “Keep the Children Company” has been started in Leyun Village, Dazhou City, Sichuan Province. Thanks to this project, a “home” has been set up where left-behind children can do their homework, play chess, read books and play games.
A group of “mothers” who can take care of the children has also been found. They have four main responsibilities: to create files on the children, to meet their needs, to do regular home visits and to organise daily activities. The “mothers” are mainly local women, who can more conveniently play this role.
The plan is for the project to contribute 15,000,000 yuan in 3 years, out of which 10,000,000 yuan will come from social funds.
During the last six months, members of the “Keep the Children Company” Project have visited the homes of over 30,000 children, 47% of which were left-behind children. The project has also identified orphans, disabled children, prisoners’ children and poor households, laying a foundation for further service.
