The children who come to Meng En are those who have come to the end of the road in terms of being cared for and loved. They are children who are no longer wanted by the overburdened governmental orphanages that are unable to adequately care for them. The children have various types of special needs, both physical and developmental, and many of them are from minority backgrounds. Our children come from over 300 different governmental orphanages located throughout all of China. These government run institutions are more than eager to send us their children. Our children are from ages 2 – 14. The younger ones are with us on average 2 years before they are placed in adoptive families. Children who are 6 years old and older have a difficult time being placed in families. These older children will stay with us until they reach 14, at which point they no longer become adoptable according to China’s regulations governing adoptions. At age 14 children within the orphanage system are sent off to government run vocational schools where they are taught a trade. Labor intensive training is provided so that these older children will learn a skill while earning the room and board they receive in compensation. The overburdened, financially strapped institutions have the option of retaining these older children, but given their circumstances, the orphanages readily choose to turn the children over to the government run vocational programs. Our older children, some who have been with us for 10 or more years, remain under our care and support, going to local middle and high schools, as well as enrolling in our own vocational school, which was established in 2008.

Our children need lots of love. Our live in staff who care for our children are all widowers who pour out their hearts and lives upon our children. With no home of their own, our house mothers truly relate to the children as if they were their own. The joy and happiness that is immediately recognizable in the faces of our children, is due to the fact that these unwanted and abandoned children have found a genuine home in which for the first time in their lives they are able to experience genuine love and concern.

We currently have 79 students, ages 15 – 25, who have come from various regions of China.  All of our students come from impoverished backgrounds that make it impossible for them to receive an education of any kind.  Many people are under the impression that since elementary and secondary school education is fully funded by the government, no child should have any difficulty in attending school.  Unfortunately, free public school education may be available in larger cities, the children in the countryside are unable to attend schools because of a severe lack of funding for teacher salaries and maintenance of school facilities on the part of the government.   Because of reduced or no funding, schools in these remote regions are forced to charge various types of fees for attending school.  Most families in rural areas are unable to pay these fees.

All of our students are attending our vocational school on a full scholarship basis, which provides for their schooling, skills training, and room and board.  Due to the fact that nearly all of the students enrolled in our school have never received any type of formal education, we provide them with basic instruction in the form of reading, writing, and arithmetic.  Skills training is also provided so that our students will be able to enter society as productive members, able to sustain and flourish as self-sufficient individuals in an increasingly competitive world.  Our school is primarily focused upon equipping our students with two foundational skills necessary to function in the rapidly developing country of China.  English and computer skills are the essential building blocks for their future.  We have a team of instructors who are comprised of both foreign and domestic volunteers who work diligently toward improving the English and computer skills of our students.   Future plans will incorporate other types of skills training that will provide more specialized instruction in fields such as automobile repair, electronics and computer repair, nurses aid – medical technician, beautician, as well as other occupations.  Specialed skill programs will be run in conjunction with various companies and organizations that will allow our students to engage in on site training that will provide them with real world experience instead of mere classroom instruction.  On site training will also allow for our students to gain apprenticeship journeyman type positions that may lead to full time positions upon graduation.

Due to the Chinese government’s land development requirements, we must relocate. We are urgently raising funds to build a new orphanage that will provide a home for children under the age of 14, as well as a vocational school for older children. We estimate the total cost to be approximately $1,200,000, which includes land, orphanage, and vocational school. To date, we have raised $600,000. Eviction from our orphanage will occur during the summer of 2011. We MUST raise $250,000 NOW to start building the orphanage.

Donate today