My name is He Yaolan. My family lives in a remote mountain village. There are five people in my family: grandpa, dad, mom, older sister and me. My sister and I are both in school. She attends Li Jiang Secondary Vocational School. I am in 9th grade at Tai An High School. As a result of our geographical surrounding (mountains), our farm revenues are meager. Thus my parents rely on 5 to 6 "mu" (Chinese measure of land area) to support the family financially. My sister and I need about 80 to 100 yuan weekly to cover our expenses. When we are short on money, we have to borrow from our neighbors. We often worry that we can't afford to pay school tuition. My grandpa's health is in poor condition; he is deaf and his vision is severely impaired. He cannot take care of himself and he needs to be looked after daily. My mother is also ill and constantly going to the hospital. At this point, I think our dad is the only one who can support us financially. Because my school is very far from home and transportation is inconvenient, I can only go home once every three weeks. After walking several kilometers of mountain roads, by the time I get home, my feet are in pain and sore. However, I do what I can to help with house chores. It really breaks my heart to always see creditors come to my home to collect debt yet my parents have no money to repay them. My parents have suffered enough. I always wonder what I can do to help my family overcome our struggles. I think the answer is for my sister and me to receive a good education. If I receive financial assistance for my school tuition, I will continue to study hard and make successful contributions to society as well as improve my family's financial situation. I hope your donation will allow me to finish my studies.
Profile
Updates
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04 JAN 2010
Translation of Yaolan's Letter
Dear Givology’s uncles and aunties, How are you? Today, I lifted my pen and began to write this letter to you, to send you my regards. Has work been running smoothly lately? Are your bodies healthy? Half of the semester is about to pass by, around this time every semester, the school administers midterm examinations. Certainly, this semester will not be an exception. The examinations will be in one week. After the exams will be the school’s “winter season sports competition”. But until then, I have to study for every subject. Time is plentiful. The school frequently hosts some sports competition events and composition writing competitions. Sometimes I would participate too. After my sophomore year in high school, the atmosphere has become very tense, everyone is afraid to relax. I have become fond of my English courses. I have always hoped that I can speak English fluently, but I don’t know how to practice my English speaking skills. Our teacher encourages us to communicate in Engli... -
27 DEC 2009
Update from Yaolan: Dec 2009
Translation coming soon! Please message Yaolan to show your continuing support and wish her a happy new year! -
31 AUG 2009
A letter from Yaolan He
Respected Uncles and Aunts at Givology, Hello! I’m very sorry that it is only now that I pick up my pen to write this letter. How has your health been recently? Is work going smoothly? First, I must thank you again for the help you have given me. Since I have entered the gates of high school, since receiving your help, after removing from my mind that idea of “dropping out,” I actually have every confidence about studying. I am full of hope for the future. I have been working harder at studying at school, but I just haven’t gotten the best grades. However, I have resolved not to give up – believing that “as long as there is faith, everything will be successful.” Recently, especially on the weekends, the school has arranged many activities, letting students in the middle of their studies to learn to relax. For the last few days, I haven’t wanted to participate in any of the activities – I thought too many activities would hold up my studying – but under the guidance of our teachers, ... -
30 AUG 2009
Yaolan He's Autobiography (Original)
Donors
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Sungmin Sohn McLean, VA, United States
- $100 Pledged
- $100 Total Donated
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Ronald T. Curran Carnegie, Pennsylvania, USA
- $300 Pledged
- $200 Total Donated
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catherine hardwicke Los Angeles, California, USA
- $2000 Pledged
- $1890 Total Donated