“I am happier and more fulfilled than ever before!”

Huan and Teng, sisters aged 27 and 29, live in Qingganglin Village, Guizhou Province. Both are full-time mothers who fill their time with housework and caring for their children every day. Beginning in July, they also have a new identity—community volunteers, assisting with a World Vision project called “Old & Young Together.”

“Before this, I only knew about child care and housework. At first, I was worried that I couldn’t do it.” But with encouragement from the project’s social workers, Huan accepted her new role with enthusiasm. Since September, she has been responsible for managing the village Children’s Center, a place for local children to study and play. Huan opens and closes the center every day, keeps it clean and well organized, and recruits participants for the center’s activities.

Because Huan is from the village herself, she is trusted by other villagers, which makes her job easier to do. "Sometimes I lead the kids in playing games, such as throwing handkerchiefs or a sticky gum game, and they all have fun. I also organize the older children to help the younger ones study and do homework.” After several months in her new role, Huan has gone from being shy and uncertain to talking easily with kids. She is a favorite of the children who come regularly to the center.

The Children’s Center is open all day during the weekend. After breakfast, Huan's own children join her at the center. “If not for the Children’s Center, my children—like most others in the village—would mostly watch TV or play mobile phone games. Sometimes they would get restless and bicker. But at the Children’s Center, they can play games with each other like chess or jigsaw puzzles, which are both fun and educational.” The safety and evident happiness of the children leads Huan to feel fulfilled in her new role, a great satisfaction as she embarks on this new chapter in her life.

One goal of the Old & Young Together project is to tap into the skills and enthusiasm of village adults who are not working full-time, encouraging them to be role models and mentors to children whose parents might not be around. Many children in Qingganglin Village have been left behind by their mothers and fathers, who have traveled to larger cities in search for work. In the six months since the Old & Young Together project was launched, 24 different initiatives have been launched to help the elderly, children, and women, including special needs groups, a drama summer camp for children, and women’s health classes.