A different kind of foreign worker

A few weeks ago I paid a visit to Compassion for Migrant Children (打工子弟爱心会) or “CMC”, an NGO that focuses on helping the children of migrant workers in China.

In a way, I’m a migrant worker — someone who finds him or herself in a foreign land seeking opportunity. Except the migrant workers I’m talking about are like foreigners in their own land. They have migrated to the city in search of a better life for their children, doing the jobs that no one else wants to do. But because of their legal status as rural residents, migrants and their children reside in a legal no-man’s land. As the CMC Web site explains, many migrant workers and their families “lack access to basic health care, education, and other social services that so many of us take for granted.”

I went to check out CMC’s facility on the outskirts of Beijing. This city is full of truly astonishing sights, from the Great Wall to the Forbidden City. But I can honestly say that what I saw at CMC was equally impressive and even more moving.

These pictures (courtesy of CMC) will give you an idea of what’s going on…

In a neighborhood that feels like it’s far removed from the modern capital, CMC has cleared out a sanctuary for kids.

They came on their own but not by themselves – many arrived with more of their little friends in tow. One by one the children came popping their heads into the classroom asking, “Is it time to start yet?”

What do the kids do at CMC? Our class of approx. 10-year-olds acted out an imaginary mission to outer space. “Let’s do that again, and this time make the sound of a rocket blast,” the teacher said. They have all kinds of classes going on at CMC to supplement children’s educations, but they also have a lot of extra-curricular kid-pleasers (like drama).

The thing that impressed me most was how the focus of all the different activities seemed to be instilling a sense of self worth in children. In drama class, the teacher encouraged students to invite their families to the performance. “My mommy’s too busy,” responded one little girl. The teacher, taking a knee, started explaining to the kids what a big deal it was going to be, and you could just see their faces lighting up. “Then we’re going to need better costumes!” the children concluded.

It’s easy to talk about problems in society. But CMC is actually doing something about those problems. They’ve already got several community centers and a Life-Vocational Skills Training Program that’s setting up older students with jobs. And I hear they’re always looking for more volunteers.

Check out the CMC Web site, www.cmc-china.com, for more information – they’re a virtual think tank about the larger migrant issue. If this is an important issue to you, I suggest subscribing to their newsletter to stay on top of the issues. Just e-mail: info (at) cmc-china.org.