LRS Care Profile #17: Cheng Fang

Gender: Female
Age: 31
Household: 4 members—Cheng Fang, her husband, 2 sons
Annual Income: $560 USD
Daily Income: $1.50 USD
Needs: School subsidies for her eldest son
Fundraising Goal: $320 USD

Key Points

Help Cheng Fang’s son get the education he needs.

• Cheng Fang received CHD surgery but is burdened by her family’s needs
• Her husband is disabled and unable to work
• Poor harvest can’t feed the family
• Her sons need help paying for schooling

Background

Benefited from CHD Surgery

Cheng Fang lives in the southern part of Gansu province, where summers are short and most of the year is cold. She received congenital heart surgery with the help of LRS a few years ago.

Disabled Husband

In 2006 Cheng Fang’s husband fell from a mountain and was seriously injured. He became disabled, unable to do any manual work after being discharged from the hospital. Due to his condition, he needs constant care.

Main Caretaker and Provider

Soon after Cheng Fang had heart surgery, she had to resume her family role of caretaker and provider. In 2013, half a year after her heart surgery, Cheng Fang went out to work. However, in less than 3 months, her husband and children at home were in a mess. They didn’t have Cheng Fang to give them reminders and direction. Because her 3 family members (and the fields) needed her to take care of them, she had to return home.

Insufficient Harvest

Cheng Fang planted about two-thirds of an acre with wheat, beans, and herbs. The wheat was supposed to be for their consumption, and the herbs were to be sold. However, they couldn’t get a good price last year. The income from the herbs and beans were only about $450 and $110, respectively. The wheat could barely feed the family, so they had to buy more from the market.

Low Income Subsidy

With such a low income, they could not make ends meet. The family received a minimum allowance from the government of about $300 quarterly, which greatly relieved the family’s burden of the family. 

Sons’ Education

Cheng Fang’s oldest son is 12 years old and in 6th grade. He needs to start boarding at school next year, which will cost about $30 a month. This is a heavy burden for the family since they already have over $3200 in debt. “I hope both of my sons study hard at school,” Cheng Fang says. The education of her sons gives the family hope that they can one day be more self-sufficient. 

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