CRI听力:Migrant Children Helped to Adjust to Life in Qingdao

When the first light of morning shines onto the coastal city of Qingdao, vendors on Tuan Island Farmers' Market have already been busily preparing in their stalls.

But next to the entry of the market, things are much more peaceful. In a room of twenty square meters, the children of vendors are doing their homework. Sui Dongming and his wife help them to go over their lessons.

"When I asked my son: 'what's your dream?' He answered: 'I want to be a scientist, or an astronaut, or become a policeman.' But when I threw the same question to those migrant children, one of them said he wants to become a lamp. I was really shocked. Then I got to know the reason behind it. His parents go to restock at midnight every day. In the winter, the night is dark. He couldn't sleep until his parents come back home safe and sound. That's why he wants to become a lamp to light their way back home."

Sui and Liang have been volunteering in a local youth center for many years. In 2013, the Qingdao government launched venture philanthropy projects for young people. Thus, the couple designed a program for the children of local migrant workers.

But they didn't expect there were nearly one hundred migrant children and most of them grew up in villages and followed their parents to the city.

As their research proceeded, the couple found out that those migrant children are introverted, shy and less confident, compared with their city peers.

So every weekend, Sui and Liang have taken those children for outdoor activities. Some responses are quite heart-wrenching.

"During a break, others reported to me that one boy is missing. The last place he had been seen was the washroom. So I ran to the washroom to check. He was still there and enjoyed looking around. I got curious and asked: 'why do you stay in a toilet?' He relied: 'I didn't realize this is a toilet!' That just proved to us how little the kid knows about the place in which he lives. "

From group rock climbing to charity bazaar, the couple has assisted these children to be adapted to city life. They even built a classroom near the market and name it as "Society of Learning".

Han Qinglei, who once left a great impression on the couple, is now fourteen. After years of staying within the Society of Learning, he appears to be brighter, happier and more open-minded.

"My attachment towards Qingdao is deeper than my feeling for my hometown. I like this city."

Liang emphasizes that parents and the society should do more to help those kids.

"Though many have just arrived in Qingdao and encountered some petty things that they haven't gotten used to, I believe that if parents could spare one hour or half a day to accompany their kids, they will blend in faster."

By the end of 2014, the number of migrant workers in China rose to 274 million and the sum of migrant children is climbing every year.

For CRI, this is Yu Yang.