Silent Brother & Joyful Sister
In the late 1990s, a five-year-old boy and his 10-month-old sister lived with their father, who was a miner, and their mother, who was mentally unstable, by some accounts. They lived in extreme poverty in a village outside of Beijing. One day in the mines, their father was nearly blinded by an explosion. He completely lost his sight in one eye and most of his vision in the other.
During this time and into the early 2000s, their father sold his blood to supplement the family's income. Fortunately, the father did not contract HIV/AIDs, as many donors did then. Desperate for money, the children's mother met a man who seemed to offer hope. She abandoned her family in exchange for his generosity. Unfortunately, the man turned out to be a pimp who engaged the mother as an illegal prostitute, and his "generosity" eventually cost the mother her life.
Last year, the father was notified that his wife had been murdered. He was told to go to the place where she died and collect her body. Penniless, the man was forced to leave her body where it was, and the father and his children have no idea where the mother's remains are buried.
No longer able to work in the mines because of his blindness, the father now works the small farm where the family lives. He is committed to keeping his children in school, despite his disabilities. His brother took the boy for a short time, but the uncle died of cancer, so the family of three is now together again.
Now 12 years old, the brother is a quiet, serious young man who has assumed much of the responsibility for caring for his father and younger sister. He works hard, both in school and in the fields, cooks for the family, and handles the family's business. He doesn't smile much, but is very responsible and always finishes in the top five of his class in school. During the school year, he runs home seven miles to cook for his father and sister at noon, runs back to school and then home again to tend the fields after school.
In contrast to her older brother, the sister has a very happy nature and carries a big smile on her face at all times.
Golden Courage wants to preserve this young girl's joy for life and restore her brother's hope for the future. Our volunteers are serving this family through One-on-One Help, including paying for school tuition and school lunch programs. We are also working with officials to qualify the father for disability assistance and helping him learn new skills that he can do even with his handicap.