Chengzhen - Sponsored Child

Chengzhen is a third grade girl with dreams of serving the army and protecting her country. “I love being a Lisu and our traditional clothes. I also learned our dances.” Lisu is an ethnic tribe in China. When she is home, Chengzhen plays with her pets, two dogs and rabbits. At eight years old, she started helping tend their cattle with her 12-year old brother Chenglong, also a World Vision sponsored child. Her mother said she was surprised when Chengzhen told her she had volunteered to manage the toys at the Children’s Center. She adds, “I am glad to see my daughter becoming more responsible.”

World Vision works in Chenzhen's community to strengthen bonds between children and their parents - encouraging them to learn new things together and participate in activities that allow them to express their love and care for each other. A staff member explained that parents are often too busy working on their farms, and they admit to having little time for their children. World Vision's focus is on child protection - physical abuse of children is prevalent in this community. Neglect of children is common due to overwork, because parents struggle to earn enough income to support their families.

World Vision's Child Protection efforts benefit the entire community. Before World Vision came to Chenzhen's village, children had no safe space to play, no toys to play with nor books to read after school. With the establishment of the Children's Center, children now enjoy spending their leisure time there, playing and reading books with other kids. Parents also have less worry about the safety of their children. They sometimes come to the Children's Center themselves to play basketball with their children, which is a huge success!