A ceremony was held in Kangle, a county of northwest China's Gansu Province, in May 2025 to mark the launch of the 100 publicity lectures activity at construction sites for the caring and protection of rural left-behind children, whose parents migrate to cities for work.

Huang Xiaowei, Vice-President and First Member of the Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation, and Zheng Xuexuan, President of China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), attended the ceremony and gave speeches.

Forty-six charity-minded women employees of CSCEC, who served as caring mothers under the public welfare program Building Dreams for a Better Future, exchanged cards of pairing-up assistance with 100 children in Kangle.

Photo taken in May 2025 shows CSCEC employees and children from Kangle County at the ceremony. [CCTF]

Building Dreams for a Better Future program was jointly launched by the CCTF and CSCEC in 2024. In March 2025, Gu Xiaobai, Deputy Chairperson of the CSCEC Trade Union and Director of the Women Workers' Committee, and Zhu Dongyun, Deputy Secretary-General of the CCTF, visited Kangxian, Zhuoni and Kangle counties in Gansu Province to have a deep understanding of the actual situation and specific needs of women, children and families in the areas, ensuring the proper use of funds.

In the past two years, women's federations in Kangxian, Zhuoni and Kangle have carried out various forms of companionship activities such as vacation classes, adolescent health care and study tours.

A Tibetan girl from Zhuoni County said that her back and eyes used to be uncomfortable after writing for a long time and there was no proper place for her to put books. Previously, in the pastoral townships there, children rarely had a dedicated desk for their homework; any random table usually served as their study desk. Now, the Tibetan girl has a study desk. A gentle light shines from an eye-protection lamp, with books neatly arranged beside it.

Photos show the positive transformation of study environment for a Tibetan girl at home. [CCTF]

Principal of Gongzhuang Primary School in Kangle County surnamed Jia said the old reading room only had old desks and chairs, and the bookcases had been used for more than a decade. Today, the newly-renovated library is bright, with various kinds of books neatly arranged. The wooden floor and the flexible tables and chairs not only meet the children's need for reading, but also support a variety of after-school activities. A wall display rack has been added to display the children's drawings and handicrafts.

Photos show the transformation of a library in Gongzhuang Primary School. [CCTF]

Behind this renovation lies a special touch of care. Employees from CSCEC participated in the renovation and gave their full support. After the main work was completed, they invited student volunteers majoring in visual and environmental design from Lanzhou University to the school. Together with the teachers and children, they painted on the walls, bringing childlike innocence, creativity and warmth to the library.

Student volunteers from Lanzhou University join children to complete a wall painting. [CCTF]

"In addition to the library, the program has also built new sinks, renovated the toilets and installed new basketball hoops," Jia said.

Since the implementation of the program, with the assistance of CSCEC, the infrastructure of 12 schools in three counties of Gansu Province has been repaired and renovated. Nearly 100 left-behind children and those living in difficulties have been provided with study desks and chairs as well as desk lamps.

The song Building a Nest for You was composed by CSCEC employees for children, telling the heartwarming stories of caring mothers accompanying left-behind children as they grow up.

"My wife and I are getting old. The child's parents are working away from home. Now with your care and support, I feel much more at ease," grandpa of Xiaoyu, a girl in Hejiagou Village of Kangle County, said to Shen Lingling, the caring mother of Xiaoyu and a CSCEC employee, with full gratitude.

Besides visiting Xiaoyu's home and bringing study and living supplies to her, Shen keeps in touch with her by phone, gradually becoming Xiaoyu's listener and guide on her path to growth.

Shen Lingling and Xiaoyu take part in a study tour. [CCTF]

Xia Qingyan, an employee of the Kangxian County Bureau of Natural Resources, is also a caring mother. Xiaoci, the seven-year-old girl Xia pairs with, has lived together with her grandmother because her parents work away from home. During her first visit, Xia shared stories about her own childhood with Xiaoci and encouraged her to keep diaries. As they spent more time together, Xiaoci became more outgoing and confident.

Xia Qingyan (middle) and Xiaoci play with clay together. [CCTF]

To date, the program has recruited nearly 400 government officials, women volunteers and caring employees from enterprises as caring mothers. They have formed one-on-one or one-to-many partnerships with more than 500 left-behind and disadvantaged children. Through regular contact, distribution of supplies and home visits, they have provided stable and reliable emotional support for the children.

The program has also carried out adolescent health care and companionship activities for 1,300 girl students in 13 schools in Kangxian and Kangle counties.

Focused on themes such as physical hygiene, self-protection, peer relationships and emotional regulation, interactive activities, science popularization lectures and other forms of activities have been held to help girls build confidence and cultivate positive mindset.

Girls attend classes on adolescent health and companionship. [CCTF]

Ma Xuemei, a psychology teacher at Kangle Middle School, said, "The psychology classes are more innovative and engaging, creating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere that bridges the gap between teachers and students and increasing students' trust in the psychology teacher. Many introverted students are now willing to communicate and open up with the teacher."

With the joint efforts of Zhuoni Women's Federation and local schools, the program has organized various study tour activities focused on patriotic education. The students have visited the Lazikou Battlefield Site in Diebu County, Wangjiaping Revolutionary Site, the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall and other revolutionary sites, listening to the heroic stories of the martyrs and drawing strength from the Yan'an spirit.

Students take part in a study tour to Yan'an, a former revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. [CCTF]

Children visit the Lazikou Battlefield Memorial Hall in Diebu County of northwest China's Gansu Province. [CCTF]

The women's federations of the three counties have integrated unique resources such as revolutionary culture, ethnic culture and ecological culture to organize study tours for more than 300 children.  

By building a multi-dimensional support network that coordinates families, schools, communities, enterprises, and professionals, the program has benefited nearly 20,000 teachers and students in total . The CCTF has also donated fund and materials worth 3.172 million yuan (US $466,470) to the three counties, carrying out public welfare programs and bringing care and love to children and their families.