Student Needs
In China, children over
the age of fifteen do not get educational support from their
government.
Junior high and high school students are usually boarding
students. Girls especially are expected to work to support their
family, or their brother’s
education. Providing educational grants makes it possible for
economically disadvantaged students to overcome the poverty that
keeps them and their families trapped in cycles of want and
desperation.
Most of our students come from rural families
that make a subsistence living of less than $400 US a year. Many of
them are orphans living with grandparents or members of single
parent families. Their
families, heavy with the needs of the older generation, often see
them as potential immediate wage earners while they dream of being
teachers, doctors, and journalists. Blessing Hands seeks to help
individuals reach their full potential.
What makes our program
different from other tuition programs is our emphasis on people to
people exchanges through e-mail, letters, and personal visits. We
don’t think it is enough to invest funds in the futures of our
students. We also give them friendship and personal connections.
We encourage exchanges of art, e-mails and letters, and have
partially funded a college student’s travel to China as our intern.
When interns return, they explain Chinese educational needs, help
with events featuring our Chinese students, and recruit other
college students to also go to China.