Report_2003

持繼走了二個多鐘頭，突然小徑的那端出現了房舍，道路旁苗族姑娘穿著傳統民俗服裝，戴著貴重的銀製頭飾，熱情地迎接我們。在鞭炮和鑼鼓聲中，轉個彎，文賢三小新校舍聳立眼前。木造的二層樓房，配上藍色窗框，和四周蒼翠的樹林是那麼的協調。龍根和一群盛裝的同學們賣力表演苗族歌舞，表達他們對新校舍建成的喜悅。

這個天真的小姑娘在結束歌舞的演出後，大方要求和我合影，並且在談天中透露，她遲至十一歲才入小學開始念書，今年是二年級學生，她非常珍惜受教育的機會，而且自傲的在我筆記本寫下她的名字 – 龍根 ，並告訴我，將來她還會寫更多的字。

當天我們離開學校時，龍根一路隨著我們走出山寨大門，揮動著手向我們道再會。回頭向深山裡的學校再看一眼，我相信，如果有一天 ，她離開深山，她可以找到回家的路，因為她會寫字，可以講普通話。

Wen Xian Shan Elementary School is located in the mountain regions of Zhai Ma Village, Rong Jiang Country, Gui Zhou Province, China. Accompanied by officials from the County Education Committee, we treaded along the narrow mountain trail under the scorching sun. As we looked around, we saw plots after plots of terraced fields. The rice paddies were full of water because of recent rainfalls. With the spring season approaching, most of the rice paddies had been plowed. We did not see a soul despite walking across several mountains. The trail in front of us seemed to be leading nowhere.

We continued walking for two hours until a building came to light. The Miao Tribe girls, wearing ornate silver head pieces, dressed with traditional costumes, enthusiastically welcomed us on both sides of the trail. We walked forward into the building, amid the sound of firecrackers, gone and drum. It was a two-story wooden structure. The blue windows seemed so harmonious with the surrounding dark green woods. Long Gan and a group of schoolmates expressed their joy of the school’s completion by putting on a show of Miao Tribe songs and dances. At the conclusion of the show, an innocent little girl requested to take a picture with us. She revealed during our conversation that she didn’t start elementary school until she was eleven years old. Presently a 2nd grader, she cherished the opportunity to attend school. She proudly wrote her name- Long Gan- on my notebook and told me that she would be able to write more Chinese characters in the future. When we left the school a few hours later, Long Gan followed us to the gate and waved us goodbye.

她是石影芝，今年十歲，子英小學一年級學生。
Her name is Ying–zhi Shi, ten years old, first grader at Zi Ying Elementary School.

2002年溫洳驗收子英小學時，看到石影芝趴在教室的窗口，看老師同學上課。她從未接受學校教育，不會說普通話，在燃燈的資助下開始進入學校學習。

During inspection at Zi Ying Elementary School in 2002, Wen Ruh saw Ying-Zhi Shi sitting by the classroom window, looking at the teachers and students. She never attended school and was unable to speak Mandarin. She started school under the financial assistance provided by the Enlightening Education Program.

我們從榕江縣開車一個多鐘頭役到達八開鄉，由八開到子英小學需爬山二個半鐘頭，所以决定請校長帶石影芝下山和我們在鄉上碰面。女鄉長一直無法利用電話連絡上子英小學。時間緊迫，鄉裡決定派人上山通知石影芝領取助學款。我在八開鄉的會議室裡等了許久，才見到小女孩在校長的陪同下，氣喘吁吁地趕到辦公室。
石影芝穿著天藍色傳統苗族服裝，自信而有禮貌，談吐自然活潑。當她收下助學金，拿起筆寫下簡單的收據時，我很難將眼前的小女孩和溫洳筆下那個瘦小、自卑的小女孩相連重疊。在夕陽的餘暉裡，石影芝在校長的陪伴下，高興的向我揮手道再見。我很高興，僅僅半年的求學生涯，對她的轉變太大了。她若離開深山，也會找到回家的路，因為她會寫字，也可以講普通話。

After driving for more than an hour from Rong Jiang County, we arrived at Ba Kai village. Since it would take two and a half hours to reach Zi Ying elementary school on foot via the mountain trails, we decided to ask the principal to take Ying-Zhi Shi to meet with us in the village. The female head of the village was unable to reach Zi Ying Elementary School by phone. As time was running out, the village mayor decided to dispatch someone to go into the mountains to notify Ying-Zhi Shi to come meet us to receive her scholarship money.

I waited for a long time when finally the principal and a little girl rushed into the office, almost out of breath. Wearing a traditional Miao costume, Ying-Zhi Shi was polite, confident and talked with ease. After receiving her scholarship, she picked up a pen to write a simple receipt. It was difficult for me to picture the little girl in front of me as the one Wen Ruh described as a skinny girl with an inferiority complex. In the remaining sunshine of the evening sky, Ying-Zhi Shi happily waived goodbye. I was delighted that she had such a great transformation just by spending six months enrolled in school. If she should leave her remote mountain area, she could now find her way back home with her newfound Mandarin skills.

他是杜永祿，今年26歲，貴州貴陽工業大學資源環境工程系大三學生。
His name is Yong-lu Du, twenty-six years old, a junior at Gui Zhou Industrial University located in Gui Yang, China. He is studying Environmental Resource Engineering.

2003年貴陽工業大學新增十多位同學尋求燃燈的資助。四月六日下午，我們按照約定的時間，準時在下午二時到達貴工和申請的同學進行面談。剛從榕江偏遠山區驗收學校回來，我的確能了解這些貴工的同學，一路從小學、中學掙扎到進入貴陽工業大學，是多麼的艱苦：家庭年收入300~800人民幣，如何支持念大學的子女呢？申請資助的同學全部積欠學費。

我看了杜永祿的申請書內，詳述他艱困的求學生涯；初中畢業因為家貧未能繼續升學，二年打工生涯的積蓄，讓他回到高中完成學業 。高中畢業後他又選擇了打工來儲蓄學費。但是一年多的大學生活，用盡了他的所有存款。他，杜永祿，26歲的大三學生，離開深山多年來，唯一的希望是能够早日完成學業，實現他的理想，找到回家的路，讓家人能有較好的生活條件。

In 2003, more than ten new students from Guizhou Industrial University applied for scholarships from the Enlightening Education Program. In the afternoon of April 6, we punctually arrived at the university at 2pm to conduct interviews with the applicants. Coming straight from Rong Jiang County for the purposes of inspection, I certainly understood the difficulties that the Guizhou Industrial University students had. These students struggled in elementary school, middle school and high school to finally qualify for college. But how can a family with an annual income of 300 to 800 RMB ($37.50- $100.00) be able to support a college education for their children? All of the scholarship applicants were behind on tuition payments.

I quickly scanned Yong-Lu Du’s application. He described in detail about his difficulties in pursuing his education. He dropped out of school after graduating from junior high school because of his family’s financial situation. He completed high school with the savings he accumulated from working for two years. He chose to continue working to save money for his college tuition after he graduated from high school. However, the savings were exhausted after merely a year in school. Yong-Lu Tu is now a 26-year-old junior in college. He left his home in the isolated mountain regions with one hope, which is to complete school as soon as possible and to find a way to improve the livelihood of his family.

2003年貴州春季考察，我分配到黔東南這條路線。離開貴陽赴榕江，然後下鄉驗收簡愛、家園、國嘉、復活、文賢三小學。這些學校全部都在大山裡，榕江出發，乘坐吉普車在崎嶇的山路顛簸兩個鐘頭後，下車再沿著小路往山上爬，平均大多要走至少要兩個小時的山路才能到達學校。「地無三里地無三里平」真是沿途最好的見證。大山上都是苗族的天下，看到沿着山坡一層層往上開墾的梯田，真會感覺到人求生存的本能，在這深山裡發揮到最極點了：連轉彎的一小塊地，都能種上莊稼，生活之苦可以想像。在大山裡的苗族們，田地收入僅能溫飽，家裡若有成年人遠赴外地打工，經濟狀況就可以好些，否則以耕種的收入絕對無法提供子女求學的需要。以這些有限的資源和收入，不知阻斷了多少偏遠山區裡孩子們求學的夢想。

During the spring 2003 inspection, I was assigned to the southeastern route of Guizhou province. Leaving Guiyang and Rongjiang, I went to the countryside to inspect Jian Ai, Jia Yuan, Guo Jia, Fu Huo and Wen Shen III Schools. These schools are located in the big mountains. Departing from Rong Jiang, I rode in a jeep that rocked on the rugged and rough mountain roads for two hours. After the jeep ride, I walked on the mountain trails for another two hours to the top of the mountain.

On our way, we witnessed that level ground did not exist for three miles. Seeing the layers after layers of terraced fields being developed uphill in the mountain, you can see that the human survival instinct is very strong. Even a small plot of land at the curb was being cultivated. One can only imagine the difficulties in their life. The Miao Tribe dominates the population in the mountains. For the Miao Tribe, living off of crops being grown in the mountains is barely enough to make ends meet. The economic situation can be improved if the adults were able to work away from the area. But with the current situation, it is impossible for them to support the educational needs of their children. It is unfeasible to identify how many dreams are lost in this remote area due to limitations of resources and income. The Economic situation can be improved if the adults were able to work away from the area. But with the current situation, it is impossible for them to support the educational needs of their children. It is unfeasible to identify how many dreams are lost in this remote area due to limitations of resources and income.

深山裡新建的學校，全部是就地取材的木造建築。學校是全村精神的堡壘，也是孩子們最深愛的地方，他們的內心都很清楚，唯有受教育，孩子才有遠離貧窮的機會；盼望了十多年的新校舍終於落成，全村歡樂的氣氛令人十分感動。但願孩子們在接受基礎教育之後，立足點平等，能够經得起社會激烈的競爭，我深信他們的明天將會更好。

All construction material can be obtained locally to build new schools in the mountain areas. They are symbols for the hope and future of the village. Children love to go to school because deep down in their hearts, they know very well that education is their only chance of leaving poverty behind. They have been looking forward to a chance like this for over ten years now; and their wishes have finally come true. The whole village was overjoyed by the new school. I sincerely hope that education will provide them with a fair opportunity to compete with others in the outside world. I truly believe they will have a better future.