From Sina:
That child whose fate was changed by a photograph
From the internet, I read an article and saw many black and white photographs, and could not help but think of that Project Hope big-eyed little girl [pictured above].
Su Mingjuan was the Project Hope big-eyed little girl, and though today she has already grown up, she was originally the child of an ordinary peasant family in an Anhui mountain village, her family poor ever since she was little, parents depending on farming to survive. Perhaps without this photo, Su Mingjuan would still be in her hometown farming now, continuing the life of her parents, but because of this picture, more people knew about her, financially aided her, helped her, allowed her to finish her education, and she now has a stable job at a bank in the city. It was a picture just like this that changed this girl’s life. On her face now can be seen is that self-confident smile.
There are people who say smiling is the most primitive and natural expression of humans.
There are people who say within children’s eyes are the most pure and innocent souls.
Then love is the best recipe for maintaining smiles and purity.
These past two days I discovered that Li Houlin’s blog has many children’s pictures:
A group photo.
With 4700 meter elevation children, a deep bond was made.
Starting from a child’s smiling face in a single picture,
and persisting out of love, it expanded to 4500 or even more smiling faces.
A smile, is the strength of dedication.
A smile, is a child’s dream.
A smile, is giving with your hear.
A smile, is a wordless repayment.
A smile, is a soundless commitment.
A smile, is the future’s hope.
Amongst these smiles, what is it that you see?
Will these children become artists or designers in the future?
Become teachers or doctors?
In XZ [西藏 Xi Zang, Tibet], what children yearn for the most is to become teachers and doctors, teachers can teach more children, while doctors can treat those who cannot [normally] afford to see doctors.
Or also become the next generation’s Tibetan singing group, or…there are too many possibilities.
The same photograph, the same expression, but hopes to have a different life.
In Li Houlin’s blog, there are also some activities for the I Do Children’s Fund, that helped me understand these Tibetan area children, but this blog post, this collection of smiles, black and white images could not help but shake me. Why is it that the places closer to the sky are farther from their dreams, how can we let these smiles under the sun reclaim their color?
This is a problem/question that everyone should consider. Perhaps, all that is truly needed is a blessing or a bit of concern from you, and something can be achieved… Looking forward to even more people working hard for this, looking forward to even more children showing their smiles!
Comments from Sina:
米小桃:
Just passing by~~~[I] still deeply remember that big-eyed little girl.
奇葩粒子:
Sometimes one’s fate is controlled in one’s own hands!!
荷塘皎月:
Public welfare and charity needs us to never rest/stop/give up.
男人滴面子:
I think that while the Tibetan area children’s smiles are a little strange, I can feel the sincerity..
男人滴面子:
O(∩_∩)O~ I believe with everyone’s concern, those children will grow up more and more healthy and strong.
超级无敌驴:
This world should have many many big-eyed girls like this.
酸菜汤我最爱:
O(∩_∩)O~
Hope these really cute children can all depend on a photograph to change their fates.
三元天葬:
Project Hope is very important, must persevere to the end!
养猪女:
In comparison, I feel I am truly fortunate.
可爱boy:
There are people who say smiling is the most primitive and natural expression of humans.
There are people who say within children’s eyes are the most pure and innocent souls.
Then love is the best recipe for maintaining smiles and purity.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Well-said!!
那是你么:
Extend both your arms,
help those children in poverty.
Maybe your own contribution is trivial,
but if we all individually give a little love,
that power is unmeasurable.
Always support charities!
高天宇0427:
Project Hope is a project that benefits the people, it helps many people realize their dreams. I believe, as long as there is love, nothing is too difficult for the heroic citizens of China.
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SOFA #2 THIS WEEK!
I’m on a roll.
DWR
Watch out, I’m about to start aiming for it again.
One of my friends on Facebook recommended me a movie about Overseas Save Chinese Children Foundation (OSCCF). It made me cry every time I was watching it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Mlvjn-HJ8A
OSCCF is participating Causes’ America’s Giving Challenge on Facebook and the organization is holding the second place right now (top winners will get awards from Causes):
http://www.causes.com/index.html
Great photos! Always nice to see people helping each other, especially needy children.
So only the cute kids get money and support? Ohh well I guess that prepares them for the real world.
That’s not the case. Many of the kids aren’t classically “cute” and will likely grow up to be fugly when they’re not so young and innocent. It’s the smiles and hope presented in their face, with a backdrop of despair, which makes the photos heart-warming. (Sometimes not just the backdrop, but just the contrast of hope and poverty visible in the children themselves)
Daddy never loved you did he?
Mr. Playa, can you not make us koreans look like retard in just one post. South Koreans avg Iq is suppose to be the highest in the world, is the pollution in china really that bad, it make you become such a dumbass?
Are you implying that Chinese are dumbasses?? If you are, then you are the same as Playa.
IQ tests are subjective tests, which means that they don’t really mean shit. Even the person that created this test has said that it is a poor measure of one’s intelligence.
I find it hard to believe your claim that S. Koreans are the most intelligent people in the world. Your culture is full of shit. SUCKS to be a woman there PERIOD.
Why do chinese ppl get aggro so easily? The guy didnt say chinese are stupid nor did he say s.koreans are the smartest in the world. He just says average S.koreans score highest in their i.q test, even J says it, IQ test isnt a measure of one’s intelligent? So why will you even think he is saying S.koreans are smartest?
But Kim Yushin, aint sure did u get ur stats from UN stats, although the stats say S.Korea score higher, China got a higher score, but they have to subtract quite a bit becuz half of china is like undeveloped. So in someway, S.korea didnt score first.
that only applies to SKorea, where looks seem to mean everything, hence why all the plastic surgeries.
this is off topic but that picture in your link is hilarious!
i’m assuming you got neither
Noblesse oblige Just a way for the Han to feel superior to the 少数民族
Isn’t all charity the case?
“Please continue being a messiah tonight?”
Same with all the whites to the rest of the world.
I agree with you Anne. I was going to reply to gth793 that this type of thing was started by white colonial powers as a way to control indigenous populations and make colonial institutions look good at the same time.
Looks like the Han are taking a page from the West’s colonial playbook.
What about North Koreans?
There was more than this one picture that started Project HOPE. I clearly remember picture of a boy shouting lesions. Some of original photo set could be found at http://www.nacef.org/old/default.htm but in low quality. I read article about it few years ago, mentioning three kids, the girl with big eyes, the shouting boy and “distance looking” boy. All three of them are good, educate people.
And, it is not a cuteness that strikes in this photo. It is childish curiosity, a will to learn everything, a hope for better life. People look in that eyes and remembers their childhood and dreams .
I found some links: http://www.zonaeuropa.com/20050808_1.htm
and http://news.xinhuanet.com/newmedia/2005-07/18/content_3233624.htm (Chinese)
One more link, with more that on other kids, in English: http://english.sohu.com/20050523/n225662859.shtml
“I think that while the Tibetan area children’s smiles are a little strange…”
Yeah, why is it that these kids don’t do the glassy-eyed, head tilted, peace sign smile that looks so good? Amateurs.
she’s fucking hot!
I think most people here don’t realize one thing. Children/people don’t need to be rich to be happy.
As Marcus Aurelius himself said, “Simplicity itself. People only start to covet what they see everyday.”
Completely true, think about it.
Who can spot the “awesome” smiley in here?
I don’t want to be cynical. But will people even paid attention to her if she wasn’t pretty?