The times are changing and so are the school uniforms which would usually go through a voting system if it’s a school in the city, in which case, the design style and fabrics would also be considered. This is unfathomable for kids in rural areas as they often have to wear their siblings’ hand-me-downs which might be too big in the beginning, but the kids shall outgrow the clothes in a few years. Qing and his brother Le from Changhua, ever since grade one in elementary school, could not afford new uniforms, let alone casual clothes for everyday wear. Their mother has four children and could barely earn enough for everyday spending. Zheng, a student from Qing’s school, is also from a disadvantaged family and diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD).

He, his brother, and their single mom live on a meager wage in a rented property. Both families could not afford the school’s winter uniforms. Their school did provide emergency old uniforms passed on from graduating students. But the school eventually contacted the Foundation hoping to get them some help. After the inspector paid the families a visit, the Foundation purchased brand-new winter uniforms, everyday clothes, and shoes for the three school children. The remaining cash from the purchase is left in the care of their homeroom teachers for future purchase of stationery and so on. Zheng, Le and Qing were thrilled to see the inspector show up with new clothes and shoes for them. They couldn’t wait to put them on and said gaily, “Great! Finally, we have our own brand-new clothing. Thank you, sir. We will be good kids and diligent students.”

Seeing the spark in their eyes, even the school’s directors were happy for them and said that for children in rural areas living in poverty, their basic needs like having enough to eat and warm clothes to wear are often an impossible feat. Thank you to those who care and the organizations in the private sector that reach out to these kids and bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots, so that they can have a happy childhood too.