With the help of Evergrande Real Estate Group, the China Children and Teenagers' Foundation (CCTF) built eight Children's Happy Home centers in Huangjing Township, Shaoyang County, in central China's Hunan Province recently.

Left-behind children include those who stay at home in rural areas with their grandparents or other relatives because their parents have to find jobs in cities as migrant workers.

A report on the 123 left-behind children with single parents in this area issued by Xinhua News Agency in mid-August attracted widespread attention. Reacting to data, CCTF sent out a work group to visit and investigate, launching a charity event to help children by mobilizing social resources.

On September 12, the launch ceremony was held in Renhe Village, and Wang Ran was also invited to attend. Wang, a grade five student and class monitor at Daping Village Center Primary School dreamt about becoming a doctor after growing up. This lovely and outgoing girl was excellent in character and learning. Because her father suffered from illness over many years and her mother left the family, she lived with her grandparents. Now a "caring mother" visits her weekly and helps her with both home and housework. After school, she can play, read and talk with these "caring mothers" via video alongside other friends at the center.

At the launch ceremony, Chen Xiurong, vice-president of CCTF, encouraged Wang to study hard, live happily and realize her dreams. Then Chen together with the local government, women's federation, Evergrande Real Estate Group and Tencent Love Netizens representatives visited the newly built center in Dafu Village as well as the homes of Wang and other left-behind children.

Owing to the generous donation of different sectors of society, active reports of mass media and strong support of women's federations at different levels, the Children's Happy Home project quickly developed in Shaoyang.

Within only half a month, CCTF mobilized Evergrande Real Estate Group to donate and build eight Children's Happy Home centers with 1 million yuan (US $ 158,700) while conducting the Protecting the Buds Action training program to protect children from being hurt. CCTF together with Tencent Foundation called on netizens to actively participate and donate. Within only three days, 401,600 yuan (US $ 63,700) was donated to cover the children's tuition and living costs. Besides, CCTF partnered with Philanthropy Channel of Sina to promote the activity with "Where There Is Love There Is a Home" as main feature to mobilize people to pay more attention to left-behind children.

Moreover, CCTF, Hunan Women's Federation, and Shaoyang Women's Federation jointly organized a voluntary "caring family" and "caring mother" to pair with children from single parents backgrounds.

CCTF also recruited volunteers from government agencies, enterprises and public institutes, conducted public welfare activities via Children's Happy Home centers and organized for experts to regularly conduct the psychological counseling.

In 2014, the All-China Women's Federation and CCTF launched the Children's Happy Home project to improve the left-behind children care and service system, and optimize their growth environment. Through building Children's Happy Home centers in countryside communities, they could provide children with care and love as well as services based on study, life, protection, psychological counseling, sports and health. Until July, 2015, 349 Children's Happy Home centers had been built. Jingdong Mall acted as a supplier-partner. Each center was equipped with desks, chairs, bookshelves, over 3,000 books and 15 sets of videos for children at different ages, one TV, DVD and digital keyboard, two computers with communication sets, over 100 sets of stationery and sporting goods in 20 categories. The equipment would be supplied for five consecutive years.

(Source: CCTF/Translated and edited by Women of China)