Verdant crops stretched the mountain, and flowers sprinkled in the trees. A timely raining refreshed the air and made the earth alive. The car drove ups and downs along the mountains just like the mood of the two couples from Hong Kong--excited, for they would see the two kids they sponsored.

On 20^th and 21^st May, with the best wishes of other sponsors, Mr. Wu Weiming and his wife Luo Yanzhu, and Mr.Chen Yutang and his wife Ye Biying visited seven sponsored children (SCs) in Long De County of Ning Xia Hui Autonomous Region. On the way to the home of Mr. Chen’s SC named Jingjing, Mr Chen and his wife were very excited and could not help asking: Is she at home? Could we interfere with her study? How is her family? When seeing Jingjing, the two asked about her study and life and encouraged her to write to them often to inform them of her lives.

Mr. Wu was eating a lollipop together with his SCs, Keke, and said happily: “it is sweet just like what I feel now.” Holding the insoles made by Keke, Mr. Wu said he would visit his own sponsors Mr. and Ms. Thompson in Canada who sponsored him when he was a child in this June, and give the insoles to them and tell them the situation of his SCs. Keke was also determined to study hard to changes her life and realize her sponsor’s expectations. Two couples also brought coats, stationery and other gifts for SCs as well as other kids in the communities according to the wishes of other sponsors.

"One photo changed my life"

Mr. Wu Weiming, as a sponsor was once a SC. “At the age of five, Plan staff took a photo for me while I was standing before the wooden house. It was this photo that gave me an opportunity to be sponsored by Mr. and Ms. Thompson for 12 years.” The former Hong Kong SC, Wu Weiming, over 50 years old, still felt excited when recalled what happened at the primary school graduation in 1967. He said full of emotions, “At that time, I was ready to drop out of school and to be an apprentice. However, the continued sponsoring by Plan and Mr. and Ms. Thompson enabled me to pursue further study, which helped me accomplish five-year study of secondary education, and changed my whole life finally. Their support helped me go through the difficult times with dignity and provided me a deep understanding of the significance of study and giving others a hand when they were in need.”

Now, a group of children as the similar age as Mr. Chen and Mr. Wu in Hong Kong received help by Plan in 1960s and 1970s, and most of them achieved success in their career, and now they were also carried on the transmission of this spirit, and sponsored children of Plan.

Will convince more people to join Plan

Apart from visits to children, Plan China also arranged the two couples visited the school facilities construction, the establishment of bio-gas systems, water supply systems and other projects. When they saw the lack of water resources and water supply equipment in mountainous areas with their own eyes, they truly understood the difficult life of children there, and had a more profound understanding of Plan China’s projects on water and environmental sanitation. Seeing the kindergarten kids enjoying toys like the urban children, the two sponsors determined to make efforts to find more sponsors for the children and take advantage of more resources to Plan China’s projects.

On 21^st May, after the visit, the two couples also talked about the visit experience and questions with Plan staff.

"One photo (the SC’s picture Plan China sent to the sponsor.) has changed my life, giving me an opportunity to avoid my children suffering from poverty, and creating my belief to help others. I hope what I have done could lay a foundation for the next generation having a better life.” Both Mr. Chen and Mr. Wu said.