Launchpad🚀 - Meet C.E.

 We wanted to give you a chance to get to know the participants in our Launchpad program.  We interviewed each participant so that they could share their stories, their hopes and how this program is helping to shape their future.

C.E was born with spina bifida and came to the orphanage as an infant.  Another non-profit (similar to ours) arranged his surgeries and cared for him as a child, and he then later returned to the orphanage as a teen.  We only met him three years ago when we began our Launchpad project... he heard about it and was very interested in joining.  He felt the same way as YG, and wanted to explore the idea of a fulfilling life outside the orphanage.    He's now a young adult, navigating an ever changing China as a person who uses a wheelchair.

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Could you please introduce yourself?

My name is C.E., and I am 21 years old. 

How would you describe what you’re doing at the group home and the social work center now? / What does a typical day look like for you?

I come to the social work center during the day, where we have many arrangements. Recently we are training to do a lot of hands-on activities, for example, beading, tie-die, etc. 

I also teach the others here to sing every Monday and Wednesday. Whenever we have a party here, I am involved in planning and directing. 

I love English, and I study English every day. I go home in the evening. Sometimes I cook, and sometimes I tutor kids English; it helps me earn a little money.

 What do you enjoy most about being part of this program?

My favorite part is the movie time every Thursday afternoon. I got to finish all eight movies of Harry Potter!

 What kind of professional skills are you learning or improving right now?

English.

What has been the most valuable thing you’ve learned so far — about the work, living independently, or about yourself?

It’s the cooking. When I was little and lived in a different organization, we were divided into rooms according to our physical conditions. I used a wheelchair and I was the youngest, and so I had never given the chance to even touch anything in the kitchen until I was 20. So now I love cooking! 

I go to meet my “sisters” from the previous organization in their home almost every weekend and I cook! I cook for them and for me, and I just love it!

What motivates you to keep learning or working in this field?

My motivation is that I love learning English. I enjoy thinking and talking, and English is a suitable subject. I take pride in being able to understand English. It also broadens my mind and allows me to read a diverse range of books.

Where do you imagine yourself five years from now? What kind of person or professional would you like to become?

I hope I am able to be completely independent, and feel confident about myself. I hope I can provide for myself. When I first joined the Launchpad, I had a lot of fear, for example, fear of taking the bus by myself. Now I take the bus and the subway all over the city; I have overcome a lot. I still have some things that causes me anxiety, and I hope I will be able to cope. I hope I can be more relaxed.

What message would you like to give to younger youth who are going to start their training?

Life has no limits.

 

Little G

This month we'd like to share about a boy in our family model of care project.  Little G had been left in a baby safehouse as a newborn, and was about 7 months old when his orphanage asked if we could help care for him.  He has no diagnosed medical or developmental issues, but they knew he would thrive under the care of our dedicated nannies.  

When G was three years old, he moved out of the nursery into our family model of care project.  

Since that time, he’s been in a foster family, learning and growing like any other little boy.  

He’s finishing up first grade in school and looking forward to his summer vacation.  

His teachers and foster parents say that he’s remarkably independent and has a mind of his own.  Of course, that doesn’t make it easy for him to follow “the rules”, but he’s very creative and has lots of ideas about how to do things!

Recently a generous donor made it possible for G and some other children from the orphanage to go out for a nice dinner and karaoke.  Everyone enjoyed the lovely meal, but when we offered to let the children start the karaoke they were all too shy.  Suddenly, little G said, “I’ll do it!” and he jumped up and headed for the stage… ready to sing!  His enthusiasm soon inspired the others, and before long all the children were clamoring to hold the microphone and belt out their favorite songs.

We are grateful to all who support out work.  You are helping us to make a difference for children like G.  

While we wish he had never been separated from his birth family, we are honored and privileged to stand in for them and be his family, providing him with nurturing caregivers, a stimulating environment, and abundant opportunities for growth and education.  We can't wait to see what the future holds in store for G!

Ready for School!

 Little YX was not quite two years old when he joined us.  

He had just undergone surgery to remove his right eye (due to an ophthalmic tumor).  His orphanage asked if we could provide the special care he needed during recovery and then ongoing care in one of our foster families.

After little YX had recovered from his surgery we helped him get fitted for an ocular prosthetic.  Since that time, he’s been a healthy, happy little boy with boundless energy and curiosity.  He’s in a preschool now, and will be starting first grade in the fall.

YX’s foster parents say he is a very smart little guy, who is sometimes “naughty”.  He knows that if he can’t get what he wants from mom, he can try asking his dad or one of his older siblings and he might just get it anyway. 😉  

Last month he traveled to Beijing to be fitted for a new ocular prosthesis, because his old one was too small.  We hope that it will help him fit in at school and he won’t feel like he stands out for being “different”.

We are grateful to all who support our work. You are helping us to make a difference for children like YX, providing him with nurturing caregivers, a stimulating environment, needed medical care, and abundant opportunities for growth and education.  

Launchpad 🚀 - Learning CPR

This past month our Launchpad participants were able to take a first aid/CPR class that was tailored just for them.  It was a wonderful learning experience; not only did they gain valuable, life saving skills, but it also taught them that people with disabilities can do many things they never dreamed they could do!

The class began with a reminder that in order to be effective in helping a person in need of aid, one must remain calm, and clearly assess the situation.  If you don't start with those steps your efforts may be not actually be beneficial.  Once everyone had grasped that concept, we moved on to the practical side of things.

We learned the indications for using the Heimlich maneuver first.  After that we practiced doing the Heimlich maneuver.  We recognized that while all of the participants could assist an infant, a person who is dependent on crutches or wheelchair cannot easily perform the maneuver on an adult. But it's still a skill worth learning -  you never know when you might use it!

Then we spent some time learning to perform CPR and the proper use of an AED.  Again, some techniques have to be modified for those with mobility issues, but it's easy enough to slip out of a wheelchair and down onto the floor.  Fortunately, CPR does not require the rescuer to be able to stand unaided.

After mastering the basics of CPR and the Heimlich maneuver, the teacher specifically emphasized the importance of prevention and situational awareness. A person performing a rescue must take care not to become a casualty themselves!

This class turned out to be much more meaningful and valuable than we had anticipated. Learning the skills that can save a life is a huge accomplishment (and also a big responsibility).  But even more than that we gained the recognition that disabled people are also very capable in responding to an emergency situation.  Both are invaluable lessons!

Mama's Little Helper

QX  has been in our care for the past 6 years.  She was born with Down syndrome and abandoned as a small infant.  When she was 4 years old, her orphanage asked if she might be able to join one of foster families.

QX has benefited greatly from being in a family.  

Like many children affected by Down syndrome, she is delayed in a number of areas.  But her foster parents have helped her to make so much progress – far more than if she had remained in an institutional setting.  

Although her speech is still somewhat unclear, she loves to talk and is a little chatterbox.  But what she loves more than anything is helping out.  Give her a table that needs wiping down, or a basin of dirty toys, or a floor that needs to be swept and it’s like she just won the lottery!  

Of course, this is not just a matter of chores getting done.   QX is gaining confidence, independence and valuable life skills while “helping” out at home.

QX demonstrates a great deal of care and compassion toward others.  We know this is because she has seen this modeled over and over – in her own foster family and her classroom.  Recently she was with her brother at a lesson on traditional Chinese medicine where the children were learning about treatment with moxibustion cups.  She noticed that the one of the cups started to slip, so she rushed over to help out and stabilize it.  The teachers were quite surprised by her attentiveness and sense of responsibility! 

We are grateful to all who support our work; you are making it possible for us to provide nurturing, family based care and educational and vocational opportunities to little ones like QX.  Thank you! 

Mystery Boxes - A Lesson in Giving

 During winter holiday, we received a donation of shoeboxes filled with gifts and were asked to distribute them to children who would benefit. These boxes were special because they were put together by students from a school in Beijing. Each box contained items like stationary, small toys, craft materials, wearable items, and handwritten notes with encouraging words. 

We gave out the first batch of gift boxes to a group of children living in a less developed area of a central Chinese province.  These kids come from difficult family backgrounds, each dealing with their own set of challenges. We had planned a one-day SEL (social emotional learning) fun-and-activity event for them over the Chinese New Year holiday break. We thought this would be a great time to give them gifts—as a way to send good wishes for the new year. 

The question was: how could we arrange this so it becomes more of a learning opportunity, rather than just another moment of receiving donations? 

Over the years, we have noticed that both children and adults who are used to being recipients of donations often develop a sense of dependence or even entitlement. Some began to see themselves as “charity cases,” which can shift their focus away from building skills and working towards a better life, and more toward getting things for free. 

Please do not misunderstand! Donations are vital. They help people through tough times and remind them they are not forgotten. However, as an organization, we always need to think about the balance between giving with kindness and receiving with dignity.

So what did we do?

                         

One of our staff members explained to the children, “A group of kids your age heard we’d be holding an event in your amazing hometown. They’ve never been here and were curious about you and where you live. So they wanted to send a little something to say hi. They each packed a shoebox with small things they chose themselves, and they want you to know it doesn’t matter that you don’t know them. Just have a great semester!” We used the expression “good wishes” instead of “gifts”, to shift the focus away from the object and onto the thought behind it. 

To make the moment fun and fair, we turned it into a blind box opening. A staff member closed her eyes and randomly handed each child a box from the large shipping package. Once everyone had one, they opened them all at the same time. The room was filled with “aww” “wow” and big smiles. Of course, not every item was a hit—some kids looked a little disappointed. 

          

That’s life, isn’t it? Sometimes what we get is not what we want. But in a safe and supportive setting, kids can practice handling those feelings. They can learn to speak up, solve problems, accept that disappointment is okay, and above all, no grabbing from others! When the excitement settled down, we announced that anyone who want to swap items could, as long as both sides agreed. Some traded, and some gave things away freely, without expecting anything in return. 

With help from the facilitators, the children shared how they felt when they first opened their boxes—excitement, surprise, curiosity, happiness, disappointment, and joy. Together, they reflected on the joy of receiving, and how special it feels when someone gives you something you truly like. 

The final step was for each child to design a blind box for someone they love—a parent, a friend, or anyone they care about. They were encouraged to think about what that person would love to receive. We also reminded the kids, “gifts don’t have to cost money.” They could include “service coupons”, like a ten-minute massage, washing the dishes, or telling a joke to make someone laugh. 

Learning to “give” is just as important as learning to receive. It shifts the focus from “what can I get” to “what can I offer”. It builds empathy, creativity, and a sense of purpose. Giving helps children see that they have value to add to the world, not just through things, but through thoughtfulness and care. 

In our work, we often talk about how children should not feel like they are being pitied. That is not solved by nicer wrapping or softer words. It is solved by helping them step away from the receiving end and experience what it feels like to give. One of the most powerful ways to honor a donation is to show children that they, too, have something to offer. Along with the gifts they received, they also walked away with a chance to pass on love and kindness to someone else. 

A Family and Future for L.Y.

We'd  like to share about a boy named L.Y. who has been in our care for the past 3 years.  L.Y. was 12 years old when he arrived at the orphanage, and they asked if he might be able to join our “family model of care” project.

L.Y. was sent to the orphanage because his father had passed away, and his mother was suffering from mental illness.  When she was hospitalized, there was no one left to take care of him.  Although he has no known medical or developmental issues, L.Y.’s chaotic family situation during early childhood certainly left him at a disadvantage.  We were very happy to welcome this shy, quiet boy into our Little Flower “family”.

L.Y. has benefitted greatly from having a stable family structure.  His foster parents have been helping him learn his way around the kitchen and he enjoys helping prepare meals.  

School is getting more challenging as he gets older, and he’s very grateful to have the support he needs to do well in his studies. 

L.Y. enjoys playing basketball when he has free time.  

He’s a very determined young man who works hard to succeed at whatever he puts his mind to.  The younger children really look up to their very gentle “big brother”.  

We are so grateful for your support; you make it possible for us to provide nurturing, family-based care to disadvantaged children who would otherwise end up in a typical institutional setting.  Our goal is to provide L.Y. with the vocational skills he will need to become fully independent once he finishes high school.  We’ve been able to arrange for him to take some classes in traditional Chinese massage.  

At this time, he’s considering either learning to cook professionally, or perhaps continuing his training in massage and pursuing that as a full-time career.  Whatever he decides, we are so grateful to be L.Y.’s family and provide the encouragement and support he needs at this very vulnerable stage of his life.