Yan Yue Hang
Yan Yue Hang ("Lucky Sail") lives with her mother's parents. In the early 1990s, Yue Hang's parents sold their blood to pay the bills. Her mother later died of "a very strange illness" (almost certainly AIDS). Her illness made the debts mount up. Yue Hang's father refused to get tested for AIDS. He joined the "floating population" and works as a public bathroom cleaner in Beijing. He sends back money to help support the family, returning home only about once a year. Yue Hang's grandmother has diabetes but no money for treatment. She works in the fields. Yue Hang's grandfather worked as a house builder 17 hours a day. He helped support Yue Hang in school until he was disabled. He now makes bricks to bring in some income.
When her mother died, Yue Hang was only five years old. She didn't understand what death was about, but she missed her mother and often asked about her. This made her grandmother weep. Yue Hang says now she doesn't mention her mother any more so her grandmother won't cry.
The grandparents work hard to keep Yue Hang in school, but last year, they were not able to make enough money to pay her school fees. Yue Hang's grandmother begged her teacher to keep the child in school. Her teacher contacted GCI to see if we could help this needy family.
Yue Hang takes care of the house and chores while her grandmother works in the fields. She is a very good student who tries to work also to get money to help with school fees. This summer, she worked 15 hours a day making bricks along with her grandfather. For those two months she earned 80 yuan (a very small amount), which her employers justified because she is only a small child. In addition to this labor, Yue Hang took care of the household chores and helped with the cooking.
Yue Hang told us that she has two best friends with whom she'd like to spend time, but she can't afford to take time off. Her two friends come to help her on Sundays. She feels happy to have such good friends.
Now, with GCI's assistance, Yue Hang feels relieved. "Before, I couldn't breathe; you don't know what's going to happen to you," she said. GCI now enrolls the children we support in the school lunch program. Yue Hang's teacher recommended her enrollment in the program, because most of the time she had nothing to eat. Her teacher says Yue Hang is very mature for her age and is a very considerate student who studies hard, but "she's way too quiet and rarely speaks," reports her teacher. Yue Hang's English is very good, and she wants to be an English teacher someday.
Yue Hang hopes that her father can find work closer to home. She hopes to pay her grandmother's medical bills and help her family so that her grandfather doesn't have to work so hard. One day, when she is able, she wants to help other children who wish to stay in school but have no money, just as GCI is making this possible for her today.