Apart from the New Year's poster depicting "the year of the sheep," Zhu Zhirong's home bears no New Year's decorations. This year's Spring Festival, however, has given him and his family reason to celebrate.
Zhu, a 48-year-old Shanghai resident, has been suffering from uremia for the past 10 years. On February 1, the Chinese Lunar New Year, Zhu received quite a few pleasant "gifts."
His son, who recently won first place in a national computer science contest, has been admitted to Qinghua University, one of China's top universities, based in Beijing.
A community social worker came to visit Zhu with a 500 yuan (US$60) gift and some good news: The Shanghai charity foundation has agreed to pay an additional 2,000 yuan (US$241) to cover some of his medical expenses.
Zhu cannot work, but has to pay 7,500 yuan (US$904) for medical treatment annually, less than 10 percent of the total cost. Zhu Xiaoyin, his wife, and the family's only bread-earner, earns only 801 yuan (US$97) per month.
The Zhus are among 600,000 disadvantaged people residing in Shanghai, about five percent of the total population, who receive a basic living stipend from the municipal government. In 2002 alone, Shanghai disbursed 869 million yuan (US$105 million) in relief funds, 60 percent more than that of the previous year. Other non-governmental organizations (NGOs), such as charity funds and trade unions, also joined in the efforts to help the poor. The Shanghai Charity Foundation has collected more than 80 million yuan to help poor families enjoy a better Spring Festival.
Shi Derong, the head of the Shanghai civil affairs bureau, said that Shanghai plans to set up a social welfare system within three to five years to aid Zhu Zhirong and his alikes.
Dexin, a 10-year-old girl orphan, spent this year's Spring Festival with her "adoptive" father -- Yang Zengjian, a migrant worker who spent the Chinese lunar new year in Lhasa, far from his hometown in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
Yang, who had "adopted" the girl only five days ago, bought her a pink quilted coat, a pair of red pants and a pair of red shoes for the festival.
"I'm very happy to be with my daddy," said Dexin, whose name in Tibetan means "lucky."
Dexin's good fortune was brought about by the women's federation of the Tibet Autonomous Region which had called on affluent people to invite orphans to join their families for the Spring Festival.
"I lost my mother when I was seven, and I know very well how a parentless child must feel," said Yang, who responded immediately to the proposal from the women's federation.
"It was people's love and care that helped me get through that painful period in my life. Today I would like to extend human warmth to others with my love," Yang said.
Lhasa was greeted with its first snow of the winter a few days ago. Dexin made a cute snowman for her father, who is from China's majority Han ethnic group, as a New Year's gift. The snowman has melted, but the love between this man and his new daughter remains. Yang said that while he continues to work in Tibet, he will continue to care for his Tibetan daughter, Dexin.
Like Yang, Luo Zhiming and his wife, Yan Qiqian, have adopted seven orphans in Shanghai since their arrival from Hong Kong 12 years ago. Spring Festival has always been important for this nine-member family.
"I hope the children will grow up happily in this family," said Yan, "I'm not asking for thanks, but I do hope they will learn to love others."
(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2003)
