In July 2005, Dianjiangs orphanage director asked for the assistance of Dianjiang families and friends along with Chinese Childrens Charities, to make some renovations. Two rooms were connected by a doorway, to make a separate sleeping and playing areas for each age group. The renovation also included the addition of a bathing area for each age group. The project cost $3,500.00.
When asked what the orphanage really needed, Dianjiang Staff told Dianjiang Kids International that they could use more toys! So when one family was returning to Dianjiang for a visit, a call for toys went out to Dianjiang Families. As usual they came through with flying colors as boxes of toys arrived from all over the US (and even one order of toys came from a family in Europe!) The visiting family delivered on large duffel bag and one large suitcase full of toys for the children at Dianjiang SWI.
Links were a popular request as they hold toys in the cribs for small babies. And of course, washable developmental toys for children under two were also well received.
A very special child waiting at Dianjiang Social Welfare Institute had a serious heart conditions. Dianjiang Kids International, together with Chinese Childrens Charities, arranged for Mei Jing to live in Foster Care while waiting for her surgery. Dianjiang Kids International was able to pay for Mei Jings surgery and it was scheduled for January 2007. All signs were that Mei Jings surgery went well and she would recover. After several weeks in the hospital she went home to her foster family. However, a few months later she had trouble breathing and her foster family brought her back to the hospital. Sadly, they could not do anything to help her and Mei Jing died that night.
Dianjiang Kids International is happy to have had a chance to help Mei Jing and hopes to have happier conclusions to such stories in the future.
When a group from Chinese Children Charities and Fuling Kids International(Fuling SWI is about an hours drive from Dianjiang) visited Dianjiang in April 2005, they saw a need to get the Dianjiang babies out of their cribs. They thought bouncy chairs would get the babies up and moving a little and give them more stimulation. A call went out to the Dianjiang families and friends with an aim to buy 40 seats. A few weeks later, word came that we had raised enough money to purchase 50 bright yellow bouncy seats!
During the 2006/2007 school year, Steve Gertsen, who is a teacher at Calvary Christian School in Santa Ana, California and a father of one child adopted from Dianjiang, organized a fund raiser with his students for Dianjiang SWI.
The junior high students at his school designed a t-shirt to sell, to help raise money for the children at Dianjiang SWI.
The shirts featured the Chinese character for love and the name of both the school and the orphanage.
These wonderful young people raised over $3100.00 for the kids at the
orphanage.
