cocos acitively supports
children's homes in central china
- please, help too!
cocos shows responsibility and would like
to give back something with this charity-campaign.
almost all of our products are manufactured in asia.
a large part is coming from the "middle kingdom",
from china. we would like to give something back
to the country, where we buy our products from -
but especially to the "forgotten children of china".
a little bit of hope, joy and confidence.
we would like to thank all donators very much in advance.
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(running time approx. 30min / 94mb)
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A cat does not whelp puppies
In China, nobody wants them, the children of murderers, people-smugglers, thieves. In a children's home, located on the outskirts of Beijing, they find a new home. Their parents are in jail, sentenced to death or already executed.
Madame Zhang Shu Qui with Zhang Manyu, 4 years
When Zhou Ying is longing for her parents,
she dreams of being far away. Back to the time,
when they flew colourful kites together, in front
of the old monastry in the province of Henan
and her father bought ice cream for her on the
way home. „I miss Ba Ba and Ma Ma so very much,“
says the child quietly and it seems, as if every word
hurts. A 13 year old girl, slender, pale, ponytail,
who does not know, how to tell her younger siblings,
where their parents are. Her sister, Yan Kie, 9,
who wants to be a pop star and her brother Wan, 5,
who does not remember the father or the dead mother.
She is looking at the floor, biting her lip. Outside,
it's springtime. She tries not to cry, just not right now!
Over a year ago, Zhou Ying's father killed her mother,
out of control, because of rice liquor and jealousy.
Because she had a boyfriend, whispers the neigh-
bourhood. Zhou Ying is sitting on a metal bunk bed
and is talking, about the topic she usually avoids to
talk about. How she saw her fathers hands, firmer
and firmer around her mothers' neck. How the police
took her father away and that nobody wanted to take
care of her and her siblings, not her uncle nor her
grandmother; due to poverty and because of being
ashamed. Until this woman came and took the three
children with her to Beijing, to this children's home,
named „Sun Village“, far away from home.
It is believed, that at least one million children grow up
without parents in China. Disowned, disdained, ignored,
because mother and father are in jail, sentenced to
death or are already executed. Most of them end on
the streets, as beggar, thief, day-labourer. The son
of a murderer will also become a murderer is a common
phrase. China is in the middle of changing, but an
old prejudice only goes away slowly. Even the Chinese
emperors used to execute all relatives of delinquents.
And Mao Zedong also believed in clan liability.
„The son of a hero is a hero. The son of a criminal is
a criminal“, said the great leader. Many believed it and
still believe it today. Just like the old Chinese saying:
A cat will not whelp puppies.
The woman, only called Nei Nei or Po Po – grandma –
by the children in „Sun Village“, stands at the window
in her office on the first floor of a reconstructed ware-
house. On the wall, there is a calligraphy, a poem of
the great leader Mao, praising the beauty of China.
Madame Zhang Shu Qui, a former prison guard, widow,
mother, 59 years old, elegant, red died hair, holds a
cigarette in her right hand. Six years ago, she founded
„Sun Village“, 40 minutes away of Beijing by car. Ten
colourfully painted barracks, where 131 children live.
Seperated by gender. Two older children take care of
twelve younger children. One bed, one shelf in a closet,
three meagre meals, school education, upbringing,
values, affection – a home and a chance. „Nothing
more, that other children don't get, too.“ But they
wouldn't have that without Madame Zhang.
Sun Village near Beijing, China
A bell rings for lunch time. „May I go now?“
Zhou Xin runs outside, mingles with the other
children, who are running to the dining-hall,
on the tables, there is a bowl of rice with vege-
tables in a watery soup. There is little Liu Bing, 11,
whose parents were sent to prison for child
trafficking. Or Hu Quing, 6, whose father first
killed his wife, then her lover and her lovers' wife.
He was executed. Or Wang Ming, 7, who stopped
laughing, when she found out, that her mother
died in prison eleven months ago. After school,
she silently sits in front of the kennel behind the
playground and has her hand licked by the dogs,
that Madame Zhang found in the streets and took
back with her, so the children can play with them.
Wang Ming, 10 years
China is a strong and beautiful country, says
Madame Zhang. „Why should these children
suffer for what their parents did?“, talks Madame
Zhang through the smoke of her cigarette.
The government doesn't take care of them,
nobody feels responsible. It just can't be, that
the government ignores these children, that
nobody isn't doing something. She already told
that to the Government officials. After all: a law
to protect the children of criminals, too, is under
way. At least 1010 people were executed 2006
in China, according to amnesty international (ai).
But it is believed to be more: About 7,500 to
8,000 annually. Exact figures can't be given,
because Chinese justice combines verdicts with
punishments of over 5 years and statistics are
kept secret.
During a congressional meeting in March, the supreme
court judges announced, that they want to reform the
death penalty and want to show more mercy. They want
to "carefully control and wisely use it" and the standards
for execution in China should be more unified. Criminals,
who surrender themselves or help to clarify facts, shouldn't
be sentenced to death. The same shall apply for violence
within the family or cases, where the accused shows
„true regret and acitvely tries to answer for damages".
For white-collar crime, such as corruption, death panalty
shall only be imposed for severe cases.
Madam Zhang is bending over a stack of papers;
bills, letters from desperate parents. She touches her
forehead. „Here, take a look, telephone bills. How ex-
pensive it is. Where shall I take the money from?“
For some time now, Madame Zhang hasn't been able
to care for the children by herself. She now has helpers.
She gets one thousand Yuan for them every month,
abount one hundred Euro, that is not much, even in
China. Each child costs about four hundred Euro
every year for food and school fees. Most of the time,
there is no money available for doctors and medication.
„For that, I first have to find sponsors, I have to beg for
money.“ Madame Zhang does not tell the children
about the execution of their parents, so she doesn't
have to pay the money for psychologists. „We tell the
small children, that their parents are waiting for them,
far away in a wonderful place. So far away, that they
can not call or visit them. We tell the older children,
that father or mother died in prison of a bad disease.
One day, they will find out the truth. From relatives
or the police. But later is better for them.“
She is called „Mother of the murderer-children“.
There are always reporters of the Chinese official
television station coming to „Sun Vilage“. An elegant
lady from Sweden came to visit, too. Afterwards,
she found out, who it was – Queen Silvia.
A boy in a green sweatshirt tumbles into her office,
he is crying. „What's wrong, Li Hong?“, she asks and
puts the boy on her lap. „Nothing, Nei Nei.“ A hug,
a kiss on the nose, a lolly and the little one smiles again.
Only a little bit of attention and everything is fine again.
„So, now you can go back and play some more.“
Because in the outer office, some men from a Chinese
bank are already waiting, they want to donate some money.
She is shaking a cigerette out of the pack. „Please, come
in“, she chirps.
Zhang Shu Quin was born in the poor coalminers' province
of Shanxi. „I know, what poverty means. All my friends
were hungry. So was I.“ She chose the profession of a
nurse and, in 1971, followed Mao's call for the cultural
revolution, became a doctor in the mountains of Shaanxi.
Later, she was a prison guard in the prison of Xi’an,
a huge city, famous for the terracotta army. There, she
met parents, who did not know, where their children
were living, what happened to them and if somebody was
caring for them. „They were so despereate, because of the
unscertainty and worries.“ Like the mother, who became
crazy because of her grief, and who cut her veins in order
to escape this world. Or the father, who was sentenced
to death, and who did not stop trying to break out of prison.
„In the end, we had to chain him.“ One day, she decided
not to work for this justice department any longer. She did
not want to close her eyes anymore.
„Do I cry? Yes, often. These tragedies break my heart.“
One time, she recieved a letter: „Dear Madam Zhang,
I killed my neighbour out of greed and I will be executed
soon. Please take care of my son, so I can die in peace.“
She came too late. When she wanted to visit him in prison,
he was already executed. „This man died, not knowing,
what will happen to his child.“ She stands up, turns to
the side, swallows, wipes her eyes, wipes all distress
away. Today, that son lives in „Sun Village“.
The phone rings. The police is at the door, with number 132
on the hand. A small boy, seven years old, uncertain and
frightened behind thick glasses. His father was stealing and
has to go to prison for five years. The policeman shakes
Madame Zhang's hand. They know each other. On a regular
bases, policemen take children to this home, when they
don't know where else to take them, because walls seperate
them from their parents.
„Please, come in. Have a cup of tea with me. I have this
wonderful green tea, you just have to try it.“
No, that ain't possible right now. „Work, you know.“
Maybe on the next visit. Good-bye.
Madame Zhang's eyes follow the visitor, then she reaches
into the pocket of her jeans, pulls out a lolly, winks and
gives it to the boy. He smiles silently, mouth and soul locked.
Well, that ain't bad for the beginning, she whispers and
takes him by the hand. Later, alone in his new world,
he will cry the loneliness out of his body. Loneliness
will eat his soul like a caterpillar eats a lettuce leaf.
Pale and lonely lies „Sun Village“ in the damp, next
to the arterial road, leading to Beijing, when the first
busses arrive. It is Saturday morning, visiting day.
But instead of father and mother, volontary helpers,
students, families, curious people, potential donators
and school classes do arrive. „The people must see it
with their own eyes to learn about it. The more visitors
are coming, the better it is“, says Madam Zhang,
while she is leading groups of people through the
dormitory of the children.“ Even celebrities, such as
the beautiful Chinese actress Ziyi Zhang or the director
Zhang Zhimoun came here. On the grass between the
baracks, a girl is sitting, a puppy on her lap. A woman
stops in front of her, watches her, caresses her head.
„Look“, she tells her husband. „She is really cute.“
Once a month, the children from „Sun Village“ can call
their parents in jail – if they are still alive and if the prison
authorities allow it. A girl, dressed in white and pink,
stands in front of Madame Zhang's office and jumps up
and down, trembles with excitement. Guan Xi, 5, will be
the first one. She doesn't know, that her father will probably
die. Her hands are shaking, as she puts the phone to her ear.
“Ba Ba?“
Guan Xi quivers, tries to speak.
„Ba Ba, Ba Ba“, she stammers.
There is no room or time for intimacy,
others are waiting impatiently.
„What about school, are you behaving well?“
„Yes, Ba Ba.“
„Be good, learn, so I can be proud of you, you hear.“
„Yes, Ba Ba.“
Guan Xi, 5 years
For years, Guan Xi wandered with her father through
the northern provinces. Her mother died after giving birth.
With occasional jobs, he tried to make a living for
himself and his daughter, wandered from factory to
factory, worked as a sewer, digged in mines for coal,
built cheap computers for western companies. Nine
months ago, father and daughter left a train in Lanzhou,
capital of the province Gansu. It was supposed to be
a new beginning, ending their travels from city to city.
But instead of a better life, the police awaited them at
the train station. In a plastic bag, they found two kilos
of raw opium and handcuffed the drug courier. All efforts
failed to find some relatives, who could take care of the
child. A policewoman remembered this strange woman,
taking care of children like Guan Xi and called „Sun Village“.
Four days later, Madame Zhang personally picked her up
at the police station in Lanzhou.
„Ba Ba, when do you get out of prison? I miss you“,
mumbles Guan Xi into the receiver.
She wishes so much, to be able to visit her father in
prison in Lanzhou, 1,900 kilometres away from Beijing.
And hopes, that he will be released from prison early,
makes plans. „When I grow up, I will take care of my
Ba Ba.“ They will live in a nice house, with TV and
running water, says the girl. And every day, she wants
to cook Jiao Zhi, Chinese pockets, that he likes so much.
„She doesn't know, that he will never leave prison again,
that he might be executed“, tells Madame Zhang. Because
drug dealing results in death penalty in China. But Guan
Xi's father was lucky: The judge sentenced him to death
on parole – within the next two years, with good behaviour,
his penalty could be changed into lifelong imprisonment.
„I love you, Ba Ba“, whispers Guan Xi, then the con-
versation is over. She continues to push the reciever to
her ear, refuses to hang up, as if that would bring her
father to her. Until one of Madame Zhang's helpers slowly
takes the phone out of her hand and caresses her hair.
„Come on Guan Xi, don't cry. Next month, you can call
him again.“ Next child. They fight back their tears,
giggle, tremble – and some are just silent.
Next door, in one of the barracks, Zhou Xin opens her
exercise-books, tries to weaken yearning with math and
calligraphy. She is one of the children, who can not talk
to their parents. Because her father wasn't convicted yet.
He will not be allowed to talk to his children, until it was
decided, if he will have to die or if he will be in prison forever.
Prison authorities want it that way. Stupid letters, how
can one study now. Zhou Xin pushes the book away
and looks at springtime outside and dreams herself back
to the kites, flying high in the sky in front of the old
monastry in Henan.
Report from Carsten Stormer (a German journalist)
For more information, please view the following pages:
www.sunvillage.com.cn
Xu Zhi, 3 years
writing letters to the parents in jail
donations of cloths
playing together
Donation account:
Beijing SunVillage Childrens' Education Consultancy
Account Name:
| THE SUN VILLAGE (CHINA) CHILDREN BACKER PROGRAM LIMITED |
Bank Name:
| The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited
|
Branch Name:
| Wanchai CTC |
Account Number:
| 640002929838
|
Swift Code:
| HSBCHKHHHKH
|
direct contact and address of sun village
address:
Sun Village
Banqiao Cun, ZhaoQuan Ying Zhen
ShunYi District, Beijing
