Along the journey out of poverty, many everyday people create masterpieces of songs with their hands, sweat and love. They are not afraid of hardship but persevere to realize their dreams, creating a better and a more meaningful life for their families. Let us listen to their heartstrings and experience the unforgettable pictures of their struggles out of poverty to "the expanse where dreams bloom."
Northern China is facing an unusually cold year, which is affecting people across the country. Even the Siberian tigers in Harbin, the coldest city in China, are searching for spots of sun to escape the frigid temperatures! In times like this, one’s attention gets turned to the children who live in the remote mountains, many of whom live in poverty, who bear the worst consequences from the cold.
Winter quilts
In extremely cold winters, schoolchildren living in mountain villages are trying hard to survive the severe winter, while needing to make the trek to school every morning. Many lack cold-weather clothing, and some have no blankets to sleep with—they can only huddle under family members to keep warm. One morning, a woman from Nanning, Guanxi Province, called the World Vision office, expressing her desire to donate something of value to these mountain communities. She and her friends had previously donated to support rural kindergartens, and her heart was touched to help again.
World Vision looked into the needs of the local communities, and soon came back with an idea. Schoolchildren living in mountainous areas had a particular need for warm quilts, without which they could not sleep well, which was affecting their studies and overall wellbeing. The donor agreed to provide new quilts to all the children in a mountain village. In less than ten days, 60 quilts were purchased and delivered to the village. The new quilts are bringing warmth in the severe cold, adding hope and strength for children trying to overcome their hardship.
Winter Boots
The social enterprise TOMS Shoes promises that when they sell a pair of shoes, they will donate another pair to a child in poverty. Lian Lian and her friends recently were given winter boots donated by TOMS. Her mother explains, “Most of our children here own only two pairs of shoes, one for summer and one for winter. The shoes get dirty and wet, and there is no replacement.” Lian Lian added happily, “I tried on my boots as soon as I received them them. They are warm and of great quality. They are waterproof and can be worn on rainy days.”
Lian Lian shared her experience of one particular outing with her new boots. It had rained heavily all day, and was very cold. She had walked a long way in her TOMS winter boots. Others who were with her wore cloth or leather shoes; some of their shoes got stuck in the mud or broke along the way. While Lian Lian’s shoes were stained with mud, she wiped them clean with a damp cloth, and they looked like-new again. While many might take their footwear for granted, having practical, waterproof, warm boots make such a difference in the lives of children like Lian Lian.
In collaboration with World Vision, TOMS has donated nearly 4,000 pairs of winter boots in the county where Lian Lian lives. In addition, TOMS also donates canvas shoes to many other areas where World Vision works.
