Photo Stories – Fall Semester 2014 – Lingyun County, Guangxi Province

凌云县非常注重教育和环保，虽为国家级贫困县，县城却透着着一种宁静厚重的气质
Lingyun County attaches great importance to education and environmental protection, although it is a State-level poverty county, but it reveals a kind of quiet & important quality.

我们和凌云县教育局工作人员及凌云县民中的老师确认家访的行程和路线
We are planning the family visits routes with the Lingyun County Education Bureau and the teachers.

回家的路离学校很远，一个上午只能访问这两个民中孩子的家
The distance from home to school is very far apart. Only two student homes were visited one morning.

靠政府的补助和借贷重建了这简陋的砖房，但没钱装修内部
This shabby brick house was rebuilt with government grants, but lack funds to renovate (finish) the interior.

砖房内部连天花板都没有
The interior of the brick house does not even have a ceiling.

县教育局工作人员和学校老师陪同我们做家访
The staff of the county’s board of education and a school teacher accompany us on the family visits.

天津来的志愿者陆鹏大哥哥和孩子们交流
Volunteer big brother Lu Peng from Tianjin exchange conversation with the students.

勇敢举手回答问题的女孩最美丽
Brave girl who raised her hand to answer questions is most beautiful!

两天的座谈结束后，没想到孩子们自动排队一一拥抱告别
At the conclusion of the two days of meetings, I was surprised that each child lined up automatically to give Aunt Jane a goodbye hug.

每位申请助学金的学生都要经过个别面谈，确认家况困难，才成为“真爱明天”的学生
We interviewed students who applied for grants and assessed their difficult home situation individually, so that they can qualify to be a "Tomorrow Program" student.

面谈时和志愿者大哥哥谈到家庭情况时，她忍不住哭了
Talking about her home situation in the individual interview with a volunteer, she could not help crying.

全神贯注听简阿姨教他们“自身的价值和潜力”，第一次明白自己值得被爱，值得被尊重
Listening to Aunt Jane with concentration on the topic of “self-value and own potential”, they understand that they deserve to be loved and respected for the first time.

台风造成的积水阻断了家访的路，老师和志愿者们搬来石块临时“搭建”出“一座小桥”，搀扶着简阿姨摇摇晃晃地走过去，自己的双脚却浸泡在水里，全身也淋湿了.....
Flooding caused by the typhoon blocked our way to the family visits. The teachers and volunteers used stones to prepare a small make-shift foot bridge, a teacher is assisting Aunt Jane despite having her own feet soaked...

学生的父亲一个人养育着七个女儿和一个儿子，母亲离婚后离家9年未出现，如今父亲以种植玉米维持生计，供家中几个孩子读书
One of the student’s father cultivate corn for their livelihood and to support his childrens education. He supports seven daughters and a son, his wife left home nine years ago.

陆鹏大哥哥教初一学生如何填写“真爱明天”申请表格
Volunteer Lu Peng instruct the junior high 1st level students on how to complete the “Tomorrow Program”” application.

自习课时间的会谈过程中，逻楼初中孩子们的目光紧紧跟随着简阿姨
During the self-study time conversation, the Luolou Junior High school students’eyes followed Aunt Jane intently.

凌云县民中的学生们认真记下我们谈话的重点
Lingyu Ethic Junior School students are focused on taking notes of important points of our conversation.

你真的很棒，加油！
Your are really great, keep up the good work!

简阿姨，我有些心里话想跟您说......
"...Aunt Jane, I have some words to say to you…"

座谈结束后，逻楼初中的孩子们自动地排成一排跟简阿姨拥抱告别
At the end of the conversation session, the students of Luolou Junior School lined up automatically to give Aunt Jane a goodbye hug.

加尤中学没有多余的教室，我们在会议室和学生座谈
There are no extra classrooms in Jiayou Junior School, we conducted our conversation session in the meeting room.

她出生后就被父母丢弃，座谈时时经常偷偷擦着泪水，却突然站起来感谢我们
She was abandoned by her parents since birth. She would often wipe away her tears quietly during the conversation...then all of a sudden she stood up and thanked us.

坚强、乐观、感恩的孩子深深地感动了我们大家
We were deeply touched by these strong, optimistic and grateful children.

大家都小心点，雨中的石子下坡路最容易滑跤！
Please be careful every one, the downhill rock roadway is very slippery after the rain!

学生家是瑶族部落第一户迁往山下居住的村民，家中一贫如洗，没有放杯子的地方，学生爸爸只能蹲在地上倒水给我们喝
This student’s house was home for the first Yao tribal villagers to move down from the mountain, and they are penniless. There was no place to set the cups (except on the floor); his dad squatted on the ground to pour water for us to drink.

学生的爸爸笑中带泪地告诉我们家里的情况
A student’s dad smiling with tears to tell us his family situation.

九月中旬的广西农村仍然酷热难当，家访路上贴心的志愿者拿着笔记本为简阿姨遮阳
It was still very hot in mid-September in the Guangxi rural areas, and on the way to the family visits, a volunteer used his notebook to shield the sunlight for Aunt Jane.

家里虽然贫困，但却收拾得干净整齐
Although this is a low income home, it is very clean and tidy.

简陋的木房子里四处漏风，正中恭敬地供奉着“天地君亲师”，这里是一名弃婴最温暖的家
Air is drafting throughout the modest wooden house, but in the center of the house is a respectfull dedication to “Heaven and Earth Monarch Gods”. For an abandoned baby, this is his warmest home.

好心的父亲捡回了被遗弃的孩子并悉心抚养长大，现在务农供孩子上学，对孩子寄予了厚望
A warm-hearted father supports an abandoned child with devotion. He is relying on farming to send the child to school and has high hopes for the child.

学生的家—残破的房间四面透风，只能用麻袋缝在一起作为临时“墙壁”遮挡风雨
A student’s home and room is drafty due to the damaged walls of the room, sacks sewn together are used as a temporary "wall" for shelter.

山脚下的低保户所收养的另一个名弃婴也是“真爱明天”的学生
A child, another abandoned baby, lives in this low income household at the foot of the mountain. He is also a "Tomorrow Program" student.

学生的老奶奶和叔叔—学生是被遗弃的孩子，父亲和叔叔收养了他，因家中贫困无钱建房，兄弟俩至今未结婚
A Student’s grandmother and uncle -- the student were abandoned since she was born and adopted by this poor family.

夫妻二人及读初中和高中的两个女儿一起住在这个工地棚子里
The husband and wife lives in this construction plant shed with their two daughters; one is in junior high school and the other girl is in high school.

工地棚子内部
The interior of the construction plant shed.

发放助学金现场
Distributing the student’s grant.