In China this beautiful baby girl—Qinyang-- is "illegal." She is
"illegal" because, even though her parents consider themselves to be
married, they did not have an official marriage certificate when she
was born. Therefore, Qinyang does not have "Hukou," or legal
registration, in the Communist system. Without Hukou, Qinyang is not
eligible for the most basic of benefits, such as education, employment,
travel, or government services. Without Hukou, Qinyang’s life will be
very difficult, at best.
The reason Qinyang’s parents aren’t married is that the parents of
Qinyang’s mom oppose the marriage. Qinyang’s dad is from a poor family,
so her grandparents on her mother’s side refuse to accept him.
Qinyang’s grandfather (her mother’s father) even said that he could have
found a better husband with his eyes closed! And yet, Qinyang’s dad
treats her mom very well and she loves him.
Unfortunately,
Qinyang’s mom began to be influenced by the strong, negative opinions
of her parents. She began to regret her decision to marry Qinyang’s dad
(unofficially) and have a child, because they are so poor, and a poor
family has so much hardship in the Chinese countryside.
Qinyang’s
mom did not know if God exists, but in her anguish, she prayed: “God,
if you really exist, please show me.“ That is when our Save-a-Girl
fieldworker came to their door!! Our fieldworker offered $25 a month
for a year to help the new family get started and relieve some of their
poverty.