Wendy Wu

When I first met this girl about two years ago in a Kunming orphangage, I didn’t think her smile would become my best new year present of 2010.

A couple of days ago, I received five pictures from Flordia. I opened the email and read, “…now she is my legal daughter, would you please release the picture of her leaning at the gate…”

Immediately a girl with long hair and beautiful face came to my mind. My heart was beating so fast, my fingers were trembling when I desparately searched my photo album on my computer. As woman’s’ intuition already told me from the first look that the girl in the photo is her indeed. How amazing. Look that hairline, the lovely dimples, the eyes, the face shape…

In 2008, after of Sichuan earthquake I volunteered to teach English in one of the affected schools. Before my departure to Sichuan, on behalf of China-Europa Forum, I was assigned to a project to a Kunming orphange. One of my tasks is to visit the foster caring families in the countryside, a concept introduced to China by Robert (keep Chinese children in Chinese family). The journey was physically exhausting, but also very emotional as there were so much to take in.

When I was back in London, I wrote a little update on my blog. Soon I received an email from the States. Lieba, a mother of two children, was embarking on her adoption journey to Kunming. She asked me if by any chance that I had met ten years old girl there. Lieba herself is a director of a children education centre. In her email she told how she imagine her future dauther look like, and asked me if I could send her some pictures if I happened to take pictures of the girl she described.

Xu Qiu was the only girl around 10 who I met in that trip. But I didn’t believe at the moment, that could be her! There are so many villages in that area. The village she stayed was the last one I visited. She was very shy girl, leaning by the door of the main gate. I sent Xu Qiu’s picture, and wished the best.

A couple of days ago, I received email from Lieba with 5 pictures of her adoptive daughter. I wouldn’t believe my eyes. It is Xu Qiu ! She looks happier and more lively, like an angle. She is such a creature as if a flower has blossomed. She is a waterlily to me.

Lieba also emailed me her blog which I learned much about the happy lif her daughter’s, now called Amei. Many thanks to Lieba who turned her life into a completely different world. I am so tearful although I keep telling myself not be like a child myself. I couldn’t help it.

I am contemplating how I am going to bring the village heritage to her?

Posted on January 15th, 2010 by wendywu
Filed under: China NGOs