By the time Dong Shan turned 14, he had roamed the streets for
seven years.
Dong is far from alone. The Ministry of Civil Affairs reports
that in each of the last three years there were at least 150,000
children under the age of 16 living on the streets, a significant
rise from previous years.
Their stories vary, but they all share one thing: a lack of care
and legitimate support.
The exception may be in Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei
Province.
The city, which is a railway hub in north China, opened the
country's first government-funded shelter especially for street
children on March 22, 2002.
About 130 homeless kids from more than 20 provinces,
municipalities and autonomous regions have stayed at the
Shijiazhuang Juvenile Protection and Education Center.
Dong Shan is one of them. Born in a small town in east China's
Shandong
Province, his parents died when he was only four years old.
A friend of his father took over his parents' property, claiming
to be looking after the boy. But within a couple of months, the
child was completely neglected.
By the time Dong made it to the Shijiazhuang center in September
2002, his life had been scarred by hardship and betrayal.
For a time, he worked for criminal gangs, stealing cars and
bicycles.
"I was really scared when I was sent to the center. I thought it
would be like prison and I could never go out," Dong says. "But now
it's my home. The teachers love and care for me. I have a normal
life now."
Dong, who had never before attended school, is now in the third
grade.
Zhou Yuncai, one of Dong's teachers, says that all the children
study at a level appropriate to their age and educational
background. Those who do well in examinations are sent to regular
schools.
"The kids need special care. The center has set up psychological
counseling for them."
Dong and the others like him in the center are the lucky ones.
Most of China's homeless children have to fend for themselves. Many
are forced to work or beg for criminal gangs, which at least
provide food and some sort of protection on the streets.
Although China has many shelters that temporarily provide food,
shelter and clothing for vagrants, none of them are geared
especially toward children. Most kids are merely returned to their
hometowns after a short period of supervision.
(China Daily March 25, 2004)