Page 2 May 5, 2016 The Peach Foundation from front page said. “No matter how tough their life is and how little they have, the parents will do anything and everything to send their kids back to school. And the families were all very touched by the fact that someone [Peach and its volunteers] actually cares more than their own government does.” Su added that he noticed many households where one or both parents passed away or even ran away. “There were quite a few single parents and in some cases orphans raised by their grandparents. It make me really appreciate what we have here in the States.” Su was especially touched and encouraged when he met many of the children who benefit from the Peach Foundation. He ended up visiting a number of schools in several towns, meeting hundreds of kids along the way. “We spoke to them, encouraged them to stay in school and finish their education because that’s the only way that they can help their family,” he said. Yet the most pivotal moment of the trip came one day when Su actually met a child that he directly sponsors. “Is it very rare to be able to do this, but I did,” he said. “She is a very good student and she really wants to stay in school—but because her dad is the only provider in her family and they live a few hours away from her school [getting to the campus is two hours by car and then requires another two to three hours walking into a mountain area], her dad gets very angry when she asked for money for school. She does go home once a month and that’s all she can afford. It broke my heart when I spoke to her and she was very emotional when she talked about her family and her education.” Having seen in person the hardships experienced by these Chinese families has changed Su forever, especially since he is also a father of a 14-year-old. “It taught me not to take what we have for granted and to be grateful that we live in the South Bay where our kids can get a great education and enjoy a wonderful quality of life,” he said. For more information on the Peach Foundation, go to peachfoundationusa.org. • Kitchen / Living area visited Farmhouse/Storage Shack...with Pigs Rural Villages and Farmland nestled on the mountain side, elevation approx. 9,000 to 10,000 feet. Picture with Sponsored Children at a rural high school
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