China Children and Teenagers' Fund (CCTF) launched the Spring Bud Project, in 1989, to improve the education of girls from disadvantaged families. In November 2022, as part of the project, an initiative was launched to encourage people to create New Year's greeting cards for Spring Bud girls. Within months, members of the "Spring Bud family," including donors, volunteers and college students, from different regions of the country, created more than 4,000 beautiful greeting cards. Those cards were sent to Spring Bud girls. 

Earlier this year, Spring Bud greeting cards, including special cards created by college students, were sent to Spring Bud girls in Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. The girls felt "warm" when they received the cards, and they decided to write to their special "family members." The cards give love and happiness to both senders and recipients.

Like a Song

A student at Tsinghua University drew a picture of the university's auditorium and a giant panda, from Beijing Zoo, on a Spring Bud greeting card. The student added the following message: "I'm happy to 'meet' you through this card. Do you like painting? Have you ever drawn with crayons on a sunny day in nature? You should have a try! Just feel the breeze, sunshine and original beauty of the world. Youth is a jungle, or a wasteland. Some time you have to run under the sun, or stand in a heavy rain. The world is beautiful, as long as you discover it with your eyes." 

The student also wrote: "Life is a long journey, and the future will be as bright as the stars. We shouldn't be held back by the past. Some failures might be lessons for us, and they will become the light on our way ahead. I wish you happiness every day!" 

Another college student, from Beijing, wrote on her card: "What's the weather like in your hometown? How are you these days? If you have some troubles in life, please believe that you have the potential and the ability to deal with them." 

Through such cards, "brothers" and "sisters" of the Spring Bud girls have "talked" with and conveyed their wishes to the girls. 

"The blessings on the card flowed into my heart, and they reminded me there are many people who care about me. Thus, I no longer feel lonely, and I feel the warmth of the world," one recipient said, after she read her Spring Bud card. 

Senders of the cards have not met the recipients in person, but the cards are like songs that both the senders and recipients enjoy. The melodies of the songs embody vivid imaginations. Rich in emotions, the cards are precious gifts.

Like a Rainbow

One student, at Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, wrote: "I know the pressure of studying in high school, but I believe you will overcome all difficulties. I hope you have good results in gaokao (China's college entrance exam), and you will enrich your experiences with a broader horizon." 

Read the message on another card: "I had thought once I entered college, I would be able to do anything I wanted. It turned out not to be true. I am still trying to do something meaningful for the world. Let's work together. The future is full of possibilities!" 

One student, at Chongqing University, wrote: "I want to share the song, Tomorrow Will Be Better, with you. I remember when my class attended our high school's singing competition, I was the conductor, and we performed that song. To everyone's surprise, we won first prize. Since then, I have believed life is full of hope. Let's sail forward, with hope in our hearts." 

The words of encouragement on the cards have lightened the futures of the Spring Bud girls. Said one girl: "The sincere communications, through the cards, are like winds that help the boat of dreams sail toward success, or like sounds of a bugle that make one move ahead resolutely." 

Many of the girls have saved the greeting cards, as treasures. Whenever they have trouble, they read the cards, which give them direction, like a rainbow. 

Like a Relay

Another student, at North China's Tianjin Municipality, painted landmark buildings, which make up Tianjin's skyline, on his card. "I hope you go as far as you can to see brighter lights, and I hope you light up others' lives," he wrote. 

Read the message on a card from another student: "Please believe you own endless energy, which will support you on your way toward a bright future. Our roots are in the earth, and our minds fly up in the sky. Maybe, several years later, you will also create such a greeting card and pass on love." 

Wrote one volunteer: "There are moments in life when we meet someone, or something, that is like a souvenir we get during our trips. So, walk on bravely. I'm by you side." 

The greeting cards are like a relay, which delivers warmth and love. Wrote one beneficiary of the Spring Bud Project: "Gaokao is a chance for you to go all-out in youth. Stay calm and do what you should do. Don't worry. We will eventually achieve something we want." 

The greeting cards build connections between people who don't know each other, even though they are thousands of miles apart. The cards encourage and accompany the Spring Bud girls. As the girls hold the hands of their special "family members," they are able to grow up with bravery and confidence.

Photos from Xie Lin and CCTF

(Women of China English Monthly June 2024)