Rural China "Children Left Behind" Documentary (part 2 of 3)

UNICEF Awarded "Children Left Behind" in Rural China Documentary

"They have parents, but they live very lonely lives. They eat alone, they play alone."

Producer: Catherine Lee Yuk San

"Children Left Behind", a 30-minute documentary, chronicles the lives of children who are "left behind" in the villages of rural China, when their parents migrate to urban areas in search of work.

As part of China's economic boom, it is estimated that over 120 million rural migrants have moved to urban areas to work in factories and construction. A new phenomenon in China, the number of children "left behind" is now estimated to be over 22 million. Although it is their basic right to have their parent's love, concern and care, in reality you can see that they live like an orphan.

(For more info, visit http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/china_41650.html)

*permission given by TVB Jade
(C) 2008 TVB Jade

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• UNICEF
• unicef
• children
• left
• behind
• rural
• china
• volunteer
• education
• nonprofit
• grassroots
• outreach
• alone
• community

[Bloodlovefreak]

You would never find children with this sort of determination in the West.

[Shanghai1688]

This is a classic example of how lucky we are compared with China's kids in the rural areas. How they are all forced to grow up so fast and to be responsible in many ways. While we in the west are so spoiled..many kids in these places have never tasted how Pepsi/Coca-cola taste like some neva even hear on it.

[blirk99999]

@Bloodlovefreak There is plenty of hardworking, smart and abandoned kids "in the West" Just look at kids in foster care - there are some heartbreaking stories!

[ASilverPeony]

I like what the staff are doing for the student :' ). I want to give them big hugs!!

[lyk5005]

@MarcellusTheGreen

FIRST: the local goverment don't want people flow to the city, they restric distrubite ID to ouside people, that means their children's education fee much higher, also including medicine care.

SECOND: the farmer even outside work, they see hometown as their root, they want saving enough money, then go home. they is why the worker want over time working to save money as soon as possibile.

THIRD: hope one day thier child can go to college, that need money.

[MarcellusTheGreen]

@Pengitty -- I agree with you that it is probably a combination of one or more of the elements you suggest, and/or others, such as they are working jobs whose draconian employers won't let them have their children around, etc. I am, however, still understandably curious as to why the children aren't brought, eventually, to be with the parent(s). I'm still curious about who pays the bills while these children are purportedly living on their own.

[Pengitty]

@MarcellusTheGreen That is something I thought about as well. There are a few answers I can come up with but I don't have the background to confirm.

1. Limited apartment space.

2. Food may be more expensive in the city.

3. More Crime/danger in the city.

4. The parents work very long hours (confirmed)

5. School related costs can be higher in the city.

6. Possible some of the parents feel a sense of freedom without them around.

I personally think it is all of the above in different situations.

[MarcellusTheGreen]

@Pengitty -- I wonder who pays the electric bills for the television and where he gets the money to go to the internet cafe (I'm certain there is a fee). Do the parents send money to the children? My greatest curiosity is: why, when the parents find jobs, do they not send for the children?

[jimmyjamesWang]

@wuzixiang, it is not nessesarily bad. As long as the human resources are not waste, it is actually a good thing because it would produce hard working people with high EQ and tolerence to hardship.

[wuzixiang]

@Shanghai1688 This problem has remianed a long time，I believe we will solve it. Our country will be better than western countries

[Pengitty]

Gotta... comment.... like the others: "This makes me realize" that inherently most people are stupid. Those childrens' parents are working hard and sending money to help raise them, and yet the documentary provides plenty of bias to make them look alone and unhappy. not a damn thing wrong.

[bun100]

aww eye opening..makes me feel grateful of having home shelter and family. I feel people in west suffer a similar un-noticeable individualism of loneliness. There is lost of human to human connection as i notice how ppl now are busy in public transportation with their ipods n electronic gadgets. I oppose such lifestyle where human are made to suffer from loneliness, it is the worst form of punishment (solitary confinement) i feel parents should teach kids to be social from young age.