One by One

We returned to the Long Ma Primary School, another three-hour drive out of the city, across the great fields of sugarcane, and through winding mountain passes.

We stopped along the way for a birds-eye view of the villages, and watched the many people going back and forth with their harvests and produce, each working hard to secure a better life.

Two married couples visited the village today and volunteered – Jack Zheng & Lucy Zhou, as well as Wang Cheng An & Yin Jianping. Both are Founders Council level Amway distributors and significant supporters of the Spring Sprout program. They toured classrooms, served meals, played games and distributed toys.

We had a chance conduct interviews of those in charge of the school, including the county mayor, as well as the Amway leaders. We even talked to some students who were “left behind” by parents that sought work in the cities.

There are some amazing partnerships happening in China through the leadership of Amway in the rural areas. This is only a glimpse, which we will expand into the full story in the weeks to come.

Tomorrow, we visit the city and learn what is being done to help children who join their parents in leaving remote village.

After hours of planes, shuttles and busses, we arrived in Nanning, China, then traveled further on to the Long Ma Village, through winding, bumpy roads surrounded by tropical hills.

Sugar cane takes up nearly every acre of arable land in this lush, green area of southern China. The fields are mostly maintained by older people and the few working adults have not moved to the big cities to find work.

For those who do follow China’s economic boom in urban areas to improve their opportunities, they have to decide whether to take their children with them. Many are left behind with grandparents and relatives in quiet towns and villages, where parents send their earnings.

This is the focus of our first visit, and after winding, bumpy roads through beautiful green hills, we arrive at the Long Ma Primary School, where at least 50% of the 361 children have parents away in the cities.

There, we met Jefferson Ren and Miao Dongmei, two Amway Founders Council-level distributors who have been big supporters of the Spring Sprout program, which aims to ensure that children left behind in rural areas have adequate nutrition and are well cared for.

A partnership between Amway, local schools and local and central governments, is outfitting school kitchens and enhancing them with staff and nutritious food.

We spent some time with the students, staff and Amway volunteers, learning more of the story.

Stay tuned for more!

We’ll be traveling to Beijing and Nanning this week, meeting some of our top Amway distributor leaders who have reached the Founders Council level of achievement, and are highly engaged in helping children.

There are two projects we will focus on in our travels, all supported by the Amway Charity Foundation. The first is called the Spring Sprout Project, which helps malnourished children in rural areas of the country. The second is called Project Sunshine, which provides resources to underserved schools in urban areas.

Can’t wait to share these stories when we return!