Bao
Shu’s parents have lived in a remote village in rural China for
generations. Her grandmother on her father’s side has suffered with
painful gout. These rural farming families do not have medical
insurance. Bao Shu’s grandmother can barely walk, and her family has to
buy her medication. This expense has brought financial stress to this
poor family.
When her grandmother learned that Bao Shu would be a girl instead of a
boy, she became extremely depressed. Instead of being overjoyed at the
birth of her beautiful granddaughter, she thought that Bao Shu’s birth
was “an unfair punishment to her family.” The grandmother complained
that she was in bad health and did not have a grandson. Baby Bao Shu
was being blamed for her grandmother’s depression, for using up
resources that could buy gout medication, and for using up the family’s
permission to have a second child under the Two-Child Policy, making it
impossible for the family to have a boy later. Bao Shu’s mother loves
her very much and did not know what to do.
When Women’s Rights Without Frontiers found out about Bao Shu’s
situation, our undercover fieldworker knocked on the door of Bao Shu’s
home and gave her mother a message of hope. She told her, “Girls are as
good as boys. Both of your daughters are precious and you have the
right to keep your second daughter.”
Our fieldworker told Bao Shu’s mother about our “Save a Girl”
campaign. She told them we provide a monthly cash stipend for a full
year to mothers to empower them to keep their daughters, especially
second daughters. Bao Shu’s mother is very grateful to receive this
life-saving help when she did not have anywhere else to turn!
Not only that, but Bao Shu’s grandmother changed her attitude. She said
that God did remember her and sent an angel (our fieldworker!) to help
her family out. Because of this help, she has been encouraged that “God
is fair.” Now, she believes that Bao Shu has brought good luck to the
family.
