Left Behind Children

The project aims at working along with the kids whose parents left to work in far off cities to help them find a "comfort area". We search for activities they can do by themselves or in groups and simply try to overcome the problem of loneliness through empathy within a participatory process of change.

In China, people from the countryside are in a state of constant mobility, searching for a better life despite what they have to leave behind. Everyday a lot of kids face the situation of being left behind by their parents because they go to a bigger city for economical reasons. These kids suffer depression and traumas. In the best case these show in their social skills, but some cases get way much worse and even end in suicide.

The project tried to restore a feeling of belonging for the community. 

The first idea was to do a workshop, which somehow involves the parents as well, so they may become aware of the problems that these kids face. We wanted to strengthen the community and try to find other solutions than leaving the kids behind and leaving and so restore a feeling of belonging in the inhabitants. As reaching the parents turned out to be impossible, we now aim at working along with the kids to help them find a “comfort area”. We search for activities they can do by themselves or in groups and simply try to overcome the problem of loneliness through empathy among all participants within a participatory process of change.

Making children participants is a way of empowerment! 

Making children participants and making them aware they are agents of change is a way of empowerment. We also stimulate an open dialogue through creating a network and partnership with schools and employing mechanisms that address new communicational dynamics between them.

Our bigger aim on the long run will be to strengthen the communities, to find a common path towards a change for the better by connecting different perspectives and interests. 

Time

Winter 2015

Location

China

Team

Mu Bo

Andrea Rigo