SOS Children's Village: "The Most Beautiful Mother" Zhang Yuxiao raised 25 babies

"Minsheng Weekly" all-media reporter Zheng Zhiwei

"I often tell my children that although there is no blood relationship, you are a bitter melon on a vine, and when you go to a family, you are brothers and sisters, and you must snuggle up to each other and nourish each other."

10 children snuggled up next to "mother" Zhang Yuxiao,

A happy smile filled his face.

Before coming to Yantai SOS Children's Village,

These children have lost their parents,

Some children do not have enough to eat and wear warmly,

There are also some leg pain problems.

Over the past 36 years,

Zhang Yuxiao has brought 25 children,

The oldest was born in 1975,

The youngest was born in 2013.

At most, she has 9 children with her at the same time.

Founded in 1984,

Sos Children's Village China is a member of the International SOS Children's Village Organization,

Under the supervision of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People's Republic of China,

It is a public welfare organization that rescues and shelters orphans in society.

As of the end of December 2021,

There are 127 families in 10 SOS children's villages across the country,

964 children,

In total, 3,380 children were taken in and raised.

Among them, 2299 children have left the village,

Successively, they went to their respective jobs.

Zhang Yuxiao's Yantai SOS Children's Village is located in Yu

In June 1986, the village was officially opened and began to recruit "loving mothers".

"Take care of these children who have lost their parents"

Zhang Yuxiao said that he had never taken a vacation.

Haven't taken a nap.

Get up at night to take care of your young children,

Get up at less than 5 o'clock in the morning to open breakfast,

In the afternoon, I have to pick up the children who are still in elementary school,

Late at night, I also have to take care of the high school children who have just come home from school...

Although never had children,

But Zhang Yuxiao took the food and clothing of many children

Well looked after.

In the interview,

Zhang Yuxiao showed it to reporters

Several family portraits taken at different times.

▲ Family portraits of Zhang Yuxiao and children at different times.

Behind the warm and happy picture,

She confessed that she didn't know how many times she cried.

"The child will cry if he is disobedient,

Children who do not study seriously want to cry,

Children also cry when they are sick. ”

As a traditional loving mother of SOS Children's Village,

Zhang Yuxiao was never married and had not given birth.

Before coming to the Children's Village,

Nor is there experience in raising children.

Because it was a children's village at that time

The conditions for recruiting loving mothers are very demanding,

The first is not to marry for life.

Although the male eldest should be married, the female eldest should be married

It was the mainstream concept of society at that time.

However, Zhang Yuxiao signed up without hesitation.

On the one hand,

I have always liked children;

On the other hand

Seeing these children who have lost their parents feel pity.

Even if the family obstructs,

Zhang Yuxiao still insisted on his own ideas:

"The family must not agree,

But not getting married is nothing to me,

My only thoughts are

Take care of these children who have lost their parents. ”

10 SOS Children's Villages

"Although these children are not my own,

But it's the same as the biological one. ”

SOS Children's Village by

SOS Mom, Siblings,

The family house and the village are composed of 4 parts.

The setting of the Children's Village and its youth facilities,

The purpose is to let the children grow up healthily,

Gradually self-reliance,

Prepare for an independent life in the future.

Each children's village has 10 to 15 families,

Each family has its own separate home.

orphans of school age,

You can go to school nearby.

Growing up in an atmosphere that is no longer lonely,

Until complete independence into society.

Each family has 6 to 8 people of different ages,

orphans of different genders,

They are called brothers and sisters,

An unmarried woman plays the role of mother in the family.

Nov. 1984,

Funded by SOS Children's Villages International,

Established a Chinese SOS Children's Village in Yantai City, Mainland China,

Orphans were adopted in October 1986.

In that year,

Zhang Yuxiao was hired to become the first batch of loving mothers in SOS Children's Village.

Since the establishment of the village,

Yantai SOS Children's Village has adopted a total of 340 orphans from all over the country.

There are more than 100 children living in the village all year round.

After more than 30 years of development,

There are 10 SOS children's villages across the country.

I most want to see my children achieve results

In 2003,

Zhang Yuxiao's family was rated

"Top Ten Civilized Families in Yantai City".

subsequently

She was personally awarded the "Top Ten Newsmakers Who Touched Yantai"

"Top Ten Excellent Mothers in Shandong Province"

"China's 100 Outstanding Mothers" and other honors.

Compared to these honors,

Zhang Yuxiao said bluntly,

25 children is her greatest asset.

As a mom,

What she wants most is for her children to achieve results.

now

Her children are all over the country,

Most of them have settled down.

The eldest son, Zhang Jiancheng, was awarded the "Flood Fighter" in 1998.

Received by national leaders;

Wu Yunlong, a well-paid piano teacher;

A daughter is in graduate school in the United States,

Settled in the United States after graduation,

Now also a mom of two...

Carefully cultivated by SOS Children's Village,

More and more children are becoming useful talents from all walks of life.

According to materials released by the China SOS Children's Village Association,

A total of 758 tertiary students have been trained in 10 SOS children's villages on the mainland.

291 undergraduates, 50 graduate students,

16 international students.

Since 2012,

Children living in SOS Children's Village,

For 10 consecutive years, the college entrance examination promotion rate is 100%.

Editor: Jiang Yuhan

Editor-in-Charge: Yeye Liu

Editor-in-Chief: Cui Jingfang

【Source: Minsheng Weekly】