The two boys who broke my heart....

China is a country filled with contrasts, more so than any other country I have been too. One of the biggest contrasts has to be the huge chasm between the rich and poor. With the opening of its economy to world and transition to capitalism, China has become one of the economic powerhouses.....which means it has created many rich individuals.

And yet....it is also a largely developing country. China's GDP is currently 3rd in the world and rising quickly, yet the World Bank's ranking of GDP per capita for China is 112th at $5,370, behind Egypt, El Salvador and Armenia. The people here a poor, immensely poor. There is no social safety net and very little in terms of public health. Begging is evident, on the trains, on the footpaths and sometimes....even outside nightclubs....

And he broke my heart....
Standing outside this night club in the middle of winter with his coat for protection...he broke my heart.
He was 3, unsteady on his feet he ran up to me with a white tin cup...and he broke my heart
He asked for money....I looked to his mother...but her eyes had glazed over with the weariness of poverty....and they broke me heart.

The image of this toddler begging in the middle of winter at 3 in the morning has stayed with me. It represents the sad reality of what many in China are facing. Extreme, unrelenting poverty.

Another sad reality of having a rudimentary welfare system and perhaps an unaccepting society....orphans.

A few Sundays ago we made a visit to www.hopefosterhome.com a fantastic orphanage. Filled with surprisingly happy children who are well looked after. The children at Hope Foster Home all have medical issues which many families could not accept. Many of these medical issues are entirely treatable, things like cleft palates or club feet. At Hope Foster Home, they fix up the children and provide them with a loving environment until they are adopted out.

And he broke me heart....
In this room filled with children, toys and willing volunteers, he clung to his Ayi's pants as she sat on his sofa. For him his Ayi was mum....
He looked over at all the new adults in the room...pulling silly faces and throw balls around...and he clung to his Ayi's pants.

I smiled a big smile at him...and he smiled one back.
I clapped and he clapped back.
I reached out my hand to give him a high five...and he shyly met me half way.

He was just an incredibly adorable, shy little toddler.
I sat a little bit away and threw him a ball...he caught it and threw it back.
He stepped away from the comfort of his Ayi and played catch with me. He had a great big laugh...which he would do whenever he was able to catch the ball.

The ball went past him and he went to get...but he couldn't crawl. Instead he pulled his folded legs along.

And he broke my heart....

But in a way I think that this little boy may have a brighter future than the little boy outside the club.

I hope he gets a good chance at a happy childhood. I hope they both do.

Best of luck to the two little boys who have forever touched me.