Heating for Xing Xing Special Needs

Tiffany Sam is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

UPDATE

We raised $5,450 in total!

• $3370 of this amount went towards funding 7 second-hand ACs and paying their electricity bill
• $2000 has been left in the gofundme account to fund for eggs and milk for the residents for as long as possible
- The co-ordinator of IVHQ China along with any IVHQ volunteers who visit the centre, will be initially buying & delivering these groceries weekly to the centre.
- I will transfer over the amount they spent from the gofundme account, upon being sent the receipts and photos of the kids meals with the volunteers. This will happen either monthly or quarterly as we want to minimise being charged the $10 international transfer fee as much as possible.
• $80 went towards a big grocery run I did for the centre just before I left Xi’an – eggs, milk, snacks and toiletries

THANK YOU EVERYONE!

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Hi everyone,

In February this year I volunteered at Xing Xing Special Needs Centre in Xi'an, China for 5 weeks through IVHQ.

Xing Xing is home to about 20 children and young adults who suffer from some form of mental illness. Most are undiagnosed and without medication. Most have been abandoned by their families and/or were previously subjected to inhumane conditions because of their illness.

The whole experience had my heart in knots of both heartbreak and joy. It was incredible getting to know the residents, teaching them things (they taught me a whole lot too, including quite a bit of Mandarin!) and laughing with them. I also broke to pieces each time I found out what they had been through prior to Xing Xing. (I've shared one of their stories below)

The centre is under resourced in many areas. Amongst the extreme understaffing, little form of education provided and the lack of hot water, they recently relocated and are now without a heater too.

In 2 weeks, I'll be flying back to China to visit the centre again and hope to bring a donation with me to assist them purchase an air-conditioner to keep them warm throughout the -10° snowy Xi'an winters (which is just around the corner) and cool during the 35°+ summers.

I've been working with the IVHQ China co-ordinator who will ensure the funds are used for its purpose. Any additional funds raised will go towards educational resources for the kids and to the surrounding Special Needs centres in Xi'an.

Any donation no matter how small will make such a huge difference in the quality of life for these people.

Sending lots of love and thanks
Tiffles

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Zhang Jia Xiang - "Lock Boy"

Zhang Jia Xiang (Sean) was 16 during my visit.
He's obsessed with locks and had about 10 in his pockets at all times along with a set of jingling keys.

See the little lock on his jacket collar?

Between the ages of 3 and 11, Sean spent his life locked and alone inside cement-walled dark room.

At the age of 3, Sean's parents divorced. His mum passed away not long after and his dad was an addict hooked on opium.

The room had no electricity, no water and the window was locked shut. There were occassions that the neighbours would pass him food, however there were other times where he ate newspaper.

At the age of 12, Sean was taken in by Xing Xing. He had never stepped outside before and didn't know how to do basic things like use a toilet.

The dark room, the window and Sean's bed.

The principal of Xing Xing in the dark room. Sean would drink what was left in the beer bottles that his dad would leave behind.