Wild Lily: Poetry from the Fields

_[Summary: Every month, NGOs supported by the Transparent Fish Fund write updates on their latest activity and progress. This poem was written by a staff member from Wild Lily Foundation, describing the lifestyle and living conditions of the children who are living in the Guangxi Province. Wild Lily Foundation is an NGO that focuses on supporting school children with generally low nutrient intake, and helping them to balance their physical and mental developments.]

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In the Sun, the Children of the Mountains and Road

In the beautiful Yalong Township of Dahua County, Guangxi Province,
Countless schools are located in the mountains.
Among them is school called Shengli,
A primary school.
Materials are transported by horses or human labor,
Taking them three to four hours to travel to the farthest lanes and villages.
A group of lovely kids live in these mountains.
They gather firewood to make meals,
And prepare the pig feed.
At home, they take care of their little brothers and sisters;
At school, their joy is so simple and it comes so easily.

_They wear different expressions looking into the lens,
But I can see the toughness,
And the happiness which are common to them all.
They live in the lanes,
Made up of nine-tenths stone plus one-tenth earth.
They have their two daily meals,
Made up of corn mush with green vegetables and soybeans.
After the government implemented “policy of exempt and subsidy”,
The nutrition improvement program,
They can now enjoy big meals like this.
However, is this enough for these kids who are growing up?
Let us shine into their hearts like the sunbeam!
Let us make the strength of an egg strong enough!
Let us connect the happiness of the kids, one egg at a time...
To the kids who have been keeping us moving forth!

 [This poem was edited and posted by U.S. TFish Intern, Sophia Huang.]