我們在過去幾天服侍了50多名民工子弟，他們的年齡介乎6歲至14歲。雖然他們並不是出生在大富之家，但卻懷有一份單純的心，他們不會投訴為甚麼義工帶的遊戲那麼爛，更不會抱怨聽不懂我們的『港式』普通話，他們真實地活在當下，不虛假，遊戲時遊戲，做美勞時做美勞，他們那份赤子之心確實叫我們這班義工恩欣賞和佩服。

雖然我們並沒有告訴這班學生我們何時離開，但是，當孩子知道我們要走時，他們的反應卻要我們心痛，其中一位學生得知消息後，連中午飯也吃不下，另外一位小男生更哭不成聲，直至義工緊握住他的手，然後抱他入懷，讓他得到安慰。

當天晚上，我告訴義工，我們已經偷走了這些學生的心，因此，請不要放棄他們，繼續關注他們。

今天收到有關民工學生的消息，有部份孩子要退學；原因不是家庭經濟得到改善，而是因為學校附近的房屋已被拆除，新建的房子租金又太貴，根本無法負擔，因此要重新找一個較偏遠的地方居住，所以孩子必須轉校。另外一個原因是家長無法照顧孩子，唯一辦法是把孩子送回鄉，這些孩子便變成留守兒童。

這是民工子弟的現況。雖然我們不能改變甚麼，卻再次提醒我們，不能延遲對他們的關愛，要珍惜每次跟這些孩子一起的時間，可能第一次見面便是我們最後一次見面。

但願小子心能夠成為這些孩子成長中的一個支持，當他們迷失時，我們能夠成為他們腳前的燈，路上的光。

Today I received some news about the migrant children. Some children had to drop out of the school, not because their family economic condition had improved, but because their houses had been demolished, and the rent of the newly built house was too expensive, and they could not afford it. As a result, they have to move to a more remote place to live, so the child must change their schools. Another reason is that the parents cannot take care of children anymore and the only way is to send their children to their home town, these children will become left-behind children.

This is the current status of the migrant children.  Although we cannot make any changes, but this reminds us that we cannot delay our care and love towards them. We have to treasure the time with them.  The first meeting can also be our last meeting.

We hope that Little Ones can become their support. When they get lost, we can become the lamp for their feet and the light on their path.

一次偶然的機會，一個臨時的團隊，
一種好奇的心態，就這樣走出去；

一條崎嶇的道路，一所完整的小學，
一群可愛的孩子，誰知道你的痛；

一場激烈的比賽，一些歡樂的遊戲，
一份捨不下的愛，你要快樂成長；

偶然？並非偶然；
臨時？並非臨時；
好奇？並非好奇；

走出去，靠近你，溫暖我。

 

今年1月份我們再次踏足武漢，任務是探訪一些即將參加『愛心午餐』計劃的學生。學校的老師說有31位學生急需「小子心」資助他們的午餐費。由於行程緊逼，當派發食物包給他們之後，我們便開始聊天。

不知道是天氣冷還是缺乏照顧，學生的衣服都比夏天髒，鼻子和指甲也沾滿了灰灰黑黑的塵垢，耳朵更被冷空氣凍傷了。

經過一輪了解，他們飲食營養嚴重不足。有部分學生說三餐都只有白飯，有人告訴我們家中沒有早簦吃，午餐只是白飯，而晚餐只得菜和湯，沒有飯。

聊完天已經四時多的下課時間了，我們便跟著幾位一、二年級的同學回家，他們住在附近的簡陋平房，卻因家裡沒人不得其門而入，每每要在寒風凜冽的街上遊盪數小時才回家。同行中有一對來自單親家庭的姊妹，爸爸早出晚歸，通常要到晚上七時半才回家，所以兩位小朋友只好在街上「食風」三個多小時。

另外一名女同學情況比較好，雖然爸爸也是很晚才下班，但有留下了門匙給她，放學回家後，八歲的她雖然沒有大人在旁，但非常懂事，自動自覺每天為爸爸做飯。

跟隨著這些孩子回家的小腳步，讓我們更明白民工子女的需要。我們願意回應這些兒童的無聲呼喚嗎?

當小彭進入班課時，我已覺察到他的異樣，在我們的談話中，小彭的頭一直抬不起來，一直往下鑽，為了看到他的眼神，我也跟著他鑽。

但是，當我問到他父母親的情況時，他便忍不住流下眼淚來，原來他的母親在去年一次交通意外中離開了他們，到現在他還是很想念媽媽，就在這一刻，我很想幫小彭處理他跟媽媽的未了情，因此，我便邀請他停下來，並告訴他說：『如果我是他的媽媽，你想跟我說甚麼？』，小彭看著我說：『我想告訴媽媽，我很愛你！』。當時我便辦演了他媽媽，接納了他的心意，然後便跟小彭說：『媽媽知道了，我也很愛你，不用擔心！』。並輕輕拍了他肩旁一下。

這次對話，雖然很簡單，卻帶給這個孩子一點點的安慰，而且更讓我認知到這群孩子內心的需要。

When Xiao Peng entered into class lesson, I could felt the difference.  Xiao Peng's head had not lift up during our conversation.  He kept on drilling down.  In order to looked into his eyes, I had to drill down with him.

However, when I asked about his parents, he could not help anymore and shed his tears.  His mother left them last year in a traffic accident.  He still missed her mother very much.  I wanted to help Xiao Peng to deal with his unfinished business with her mother. Therefore, I told him to take a break, and said: "If I were your mother, what would you tell me?". Xiao Peng looked at me and said: "I want to tell my mother that I love her very much! ".  I then acted as her mother at that moment and told him: "Mom knows that you love you. Don't worry! ". And then pat his shoulder lightly.

Although the conversation was very short, but did bring some comfort to the child. It also made ​​me realized that the emotional needs of these children.

小黃的媽媽跑了！小黃的基本生活費也是由學校提供，他身上的衣服全部由學校的老師捐贈給他的。

小黃是其中一位長期寄宿在一所留守兒童學校裡的學生，無論是周末或是寒暑假，安排回家的名單中都沒有他的名字在內。每次都只能目送同學離去。

原來小黃也很有理想，當我問他長大後想當甚麼職業時，他很快便說要當一名廚師，他更補充說，當廚師可以為家人做一頓美味的飯菜。

家庭溫暖的缺失使這群留守兒童的心理產生了很大的變化，部分兒童比較抑鬱和孤僻。

除此之外，從他們的眼神中，我們還聽到他們的呼喊，他們好像在說：“請不要拋棄我”！


附： 全國農村留守兒童約5800萬人，其中14週歲以下的農村留守兒童約4000萬人。2010年5月25日發佈的《農村留守兒童家庭教育活動調查分析報告》 顯示，32.9%的家長每天會和孩子聯繫一次，39.8%的家長每周會同孩子聯繫一次，21.1%的家長每個月才和孩子聯繫一次，4.9%的家長每年才和 孩子聯繫一次， 1.3%的家長甚至和孩子沒有聯繫。

Xiao Huang's mother ran away! The cost of Huang's living was paid by the school.  The school teachers donated clothes to him.

Xiao Huang was one of those left hehind children staying at a boarding school specially catered for them. No matter weekend or summer and winter vacations, his name will not be on the "go home" list. Every time he can only watch other students leaving for holidays.

In fact, Xiao Huang does have dreams. When I asked him what kind of job he wants to do in the future. He said he wanted to become a chef because a chef can make a delicious meal for his family.

Lack of family warmth creates a lot of changes to these children. Some of them experience depression and loneness.

Apart from these, we hear their cries from their eyes: "Do not abandon me!"


P.S.: There are about 5800 million left-behind children in rural areas in China. For age under 14 years old, there are about 40 million people. Released on May 25, 2010, rural children left behind family education activities Investigation and Analysis Report 〉shows that 32.9% of these parents contact their children every day, 39.8% of these parents contact the children once a week, 21.1% of these parents contact their children once a month, 4.9% of these parents contact these children once a year, 1.3% of these parents does not contact their children at all.

我們在九月七號那天，進入了一所民辦民工學校，這是第二次探訪，那天，我們跟三十名孩子做了一個簡單的訪問，結果，當中的二十六名孩子開始了他們第一頓愛心午餐。

我們的問卷不是太複雜，因為不竟受訪者只是小學生，問題內容也是關於他們的背景和飲食習慣。

調查結果亦是我們意料中事，大部份孩子都很小吃肉，牛奶也很小喝，甚至從來沒有喝過，晚餐都是吃蔬菜，有些孩子不吃早餐便上學，嚴重的更沒有吃晚餐。部分孩子的體重偏瘦。

在訪問中，除了得知他們肉身的需要外，觸動我們的卻是孩子心靈的傷痛，其中一位6歲的男孩，他的手臂有一個很深的疤痕，好像曾經被滾水弄傷。當時我問他痛不痛？他沒有說話，只是搖了二次頭，眼神有點憂愁，面上找不到同齡兒童應有無憂無慮的面容，
在派飯時，我們終於從他的眼神中看到一點點的滿足。

儘管我們只逗留在這所學校只有一天，但卻從孩子的表情和身體語言中聽到了他們背後的故事。他們沒有呼求他們的需要，但卻寫在他們的面容上。

你差這位小姑娘在愁甚麼呢？她在愁這個月所帶回家的工資能夠幫上忙嗎？

當我們去探訪這個家庭時，小姑娘的媽媽一見到我們便流著淚分享她的家庭狀況。她的丈夫是地盤工，一家五口便靠父親的工資過活，照片中的孩子便是大女兒，今年16歲，中間的女兒還在上小學，為了追多一名兒子，便生了老三，可惜老三卻得了一個心臟病。
大女兒原本是很喜歡讀書，而且更考獲全級第一名，但是因為家庭負擔不起學費，唯有選擇退學，待在家中兩年，終於今年找了份車衫工作，每個月有一千元工資。

當然大家會問國家不是有九年義務教育提供嗎？政策是這樣寫的，但卻不包括那些沒有戶籍的兒童。由於這些孩子都是跟著父母從農村跑到城市打工（簡稱：農民工子女），他們掛著的是農村戶籍，所以不能享用城市的福利，當中包括讀書和醫療等優惠，因此這些孩子每個月要交幾百元的學費，當然學費是不包括膳食費的，結果很多農民工子女都選擇不吃學校提供的午餐，他們會餓著肚子或走路回家吃飯。

部分父母更把孩子送回農村，這些孩子便成為留守兒童。他們在鄉下通常是由親人照顧，由於長期跟父母分開，可能是吃一餐，餓一餐，部分孩子一完成初中便離開家鄉，又跑到城市打工。

這個好像變成一個惡性循環，貧窮一直跟著他們，一代接一代！

探訪完畢後，我的拍檔問我怎樣幫助他們？
我便跟他說，先給這些孩子送上一頓熱飯吧！


Guess what this girl is worrying about?  Is she worrying about how much her monthly pay can be of help to the family?

The mother cried upon our visit, as she unfolded her story.  Her husband was a construction worker, who was also the sole breadwinner of the family of five.  The girl shown on the picture above was their eldest daughter, who was 16 years old.  The middle daughter was still attending elementary school.  The couple, hoping to have a son, gave birth to the third child.  Unfortunately, the boy was diagnosed with a heart disease.

The eldest daughter has always enjoyed studying, and she used to be the top of the class.  Yet the family could not afford the tuition fees, and she had to withdraw from school.  She has stayed at home for two years, and finally got a sewing job this year, with a monthly pay of RMB1,000.

Of course you would ask, “Doesn’t the Government provide a 9-year compulsory education?”  So is the policy stated, but it does not cover the unregistered children.  These children come to the city from villages with their parents to look for a job (i.e. migrant children).  Since they still bear a rural account, they are not entitled to the welfares for city dwellers, which include education and health care services.  Therefore, migrant children have to pay hundred dollars each month for their tuition fees, which does not include meal fees.  As a result, many of them have not joined the meal plan at school; they would rather starve themselves or walk back home for lunch.

Some parents would send their children back to the rural villages, and these children become the left-behind children, where they are being taken care of by their relatives.  Long separated from their parents, these children might eat a meal, and skip the next one.  Some would even leave home after completion of middle school, and go back to the city for work.

It becomes a vicious cycle: poverty haunts them – generation after generation!

After the visit, my colleague asked, “How can we help them?”

I replied, “Give these children a hot meal!”