Huang Yujia (second from left) helps to present a trophy to members of a primary school soccer team in Qianshan on Oct. 1. (Photo/CHINA DAILY)
Publishing project
Huang has visited Qianshan five times, and has also spent a month in Boluo, a village administered by Chashui, to see how the children live.
She is planning to publish a book she has written, based on the children's experiences, and has also published diary entries written by left-behind children in Guizhou, which she translated into English.
The teachers in Qianshan send her photos of daily training sessions. "That way, I can make sure the children enjoy real engagement in soccer," she said.
The children's parents also provide support. Chu Wenhao, now in the fifth grade, recently received a soccer ball worth 90 yuan and a pair of sports shoes from his father.
"The boy's parents are happy to know that soccer makes him happier and stronger," his grandfather said.
The family hails from Laowu, or "old house," a village in Chashui. After years of hard work in Hangzhou, Chu Wenhao's parents have managed to build a two-story house in the village. Some family members have already moved in.
"The new house was built for my older grandson, who will need it when he marries," Chu Guoqiang said.
Chu Wenhao's father, Lu Jiayou, comes from a poorer family than his wife, so he lived with his parents-in-law and his sons have taken their name, not his.
The boy's grandparents farm about 0.5 hectare of land, just enough to feed themselves, but even with his grandparents the boy is withdrawn.
"He just spends a lot of time playing soccer at home after school," his grandfather said.
