Editor's Note

With the care of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and under the leadership of the All-China Women's Federation, the China Children and Teenagers' Fund (CCTF) launched the Spring Bud Project in 1989, to help impoverished girls return to school, and to promote girls' education in disadvantaged areas.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, in 2012, with the attention and concern of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, and with the strong support of Peng Liyuan, special envoy of the Spring Bud Project for promoting girls' education, the project has conducted various activities to care for and support girls, and focused on girls' education, safety and health. During the past decade, the project has supported 1.76 million girls, and it has provided one-on-one companionship services and personalized psychological counseling to 133,400 girls. After they receive support from the project, the Spring Bud girls never forget to give back to society. With love and various actions, the girls have demonstrated the Spring Bud spirit of "unremitting self-improvement, striving for excellence, developing stronger virtues and pursuing better lives."

Today, we introduce a new section, Spring Bud Blooms, to share stories about Spring Bud girls who have grown up and become contributing members of society, and to encourage society to care for the development of girls. Liang Huifang is one of them.

Liang Huifang [CCTF]

The valuable assistance from the Spring Bud Project has made a great difference in the life of Liang Huifang, from Central China's Henan Province.

Liang was born into a rural family, in Xinxi, a town in Puyang, in August 1991. Her parents supported the family by plowing farmland. Liang recalls how her house would leak when it rained.

Despite the financial burden on her parents, they continued to pay Liang's tuition and other schooling fees, and they were very supportive of her as she pursued an education. Liang's father, a veteran, often encouraged her to become a useful person in society.

Liang attended a prestigious junior middle school, in Xinxi, after she completed her six years of elementary school. Liang often took wheat and other crops to school to exchange for meal tickets, so as not to create an additional burden for her family.

As there were no shuttle buses between Liang's village and her school, she had to travel to school by bike. When the weather was particularly bad, and she was unable to cycle, she would walk with other children to school.

At that time, Liang often told herself she must study hard, strive to create a better life, and repay her parents and her hometown.

Liang was admitted to Dalian University in 2009. In addition to gaining a national student loan, she raised enough money, by performing odd jobs, to pay her tuition fees and other school-related expenses.

That year, Liang's mother broke her fingers and required surgery, costing the family more than 20,000 yuan (US $2,905). Later, Liang applied for assistance through the Spring Bud Project, after she learned –– by chance –– about the project.

Liang's application, and situation, caught the attention of the local women's federation. Liang received financial assistance, which was sufficient for her to pay her living expenses for an academic term. The assistance made it possible for Liang to use her salary from a part-time job to help ease her parents' economic burdens. 

The project's support bolstered Liang's determination to study hard, and to meet the expectations of those who had helped her throughout her life. She continuously ranked among the top three in her classes while she was a student at Dalian University. She continued to excel as a graduate student when she studied at China University of Geosciences.

After she graduated from China University of Geosciences, Liang landed a job in Tianjin, and she paid off her national student loan within a year.

Liang has since become the manager responsible for market and customer research at a real estate development company. She remains determined to accomplish her assignments, and to overcome all challenges and difficulties that arise.

Liang Huifang in 2022 participates in a volunteer activity to help prevent and control the COVID-19 epidemic in Tianjin. [CCTF]

Throughout the years, Liang has been committed to helping disadvantaged people, especially underprivileged children, improve their livelihoods. She has also spread love to those in need of assistance; for instance, Liang often volunteered to care for children with autism while she was graduate student.

With solid professional knowledge and her rising financial capacity, Liang has done her utmost to lend a helping hand to people around her.

Last year, Liang responded to the call issued by her company, and she volunteered to help residential workers organize and conduct nucleic acid tests amid the waves of the COVID-19 epidemic. 

"As a member of the Communist Party of China, I need to fight on the frontline, and to go where I am needed," Liang says. She adds she will continue participating in volunteer activities, and contributing to the development of communities and society.

When she talks about the Spring Bud Project, Liang says it is the charitable initiative that has given her warmth, helped her dispel her inferiority complex, regain her self-confidence, and reignite her hope for life.

"I hope I will have the opportunity to enhance communications with current beneficiaries of the project, and help them open their hearts. I hope they will grow up happily, embrace a better future, and shine more brightly in the future," Liang says.

(Women of China English Monthly May 2023 issue)