11-year-old forced to do homework outdoors due to lack of space. Generous neighbours club together, create new bedroom for girl. — SCMP
An 11-year-old girl in China who had been living in a tiny room with her grandparents, has finally got her own bedroom thanks to the kindness of people in her local community.
Xinyi, from Zhejiang province in eastern China, had endured the cramped conditions for years.
An online video shows a four-metre-square, dimly lit room that served as a kitchen-diner, living area, and bedroom crammed with plastic bags, furniture, and an array of necessities, such as toiletry items, squeezed into the minute space.
“The room we live in is very very small,” her grandfather, Liu Xueguo said.
He said the room was even too small for a little desk, and he had no choice but to place one outside, which meant his granddaughter would have to sit outdoors to do her homework. On rainy days, she would have to lie on the bunk bed.
“When can I have my own bedroom where I can study and sleep?” Xinyi would ask Liu.
Liu, who works as a cleaner, shared his dilemma with his local community committee who set out to make Xinyi’s wish come true.
They searched the area for a suitable space and decided that a room opposite the family’s accommodation, which was being used for elderly people to read newspapers, would be ideal.
The committee cleared the room, set up a crowdfunding campaign and enlisted the help of other residents so that Xinyi’s new room was soon furnished with a bed, chair, bookcase, and other practical items.
The whereabouts of Xinyi’s parents were not made clear, but she had lived with her grandparents in those conditions all her life.
They said they were relieved the youngster will no longer have to squeeze into the tiny, shabby room with them.
Liu was told that Xinyi can live in her new room, which measures about nine square metres at no charge until she is 18 years old.
He said his granddaughter is grateful to the people in the local community for their selfless help.
“She often tells us that she appreciates those warmhearted people and will repay their generosity,” he added.
After being given her own bedroom, Liu said that Xinyi has become more cheerful and inspired.
“She has a smile on her face now when she studies and keeps telling me that she will study hard,” he said.
“I’m happy. The room is good, and I can finish my homework faster,” Xinyi said.
The story has melted hearts on mainland social media.
“It’s so heart-wrenching, but heart-warming too,” one person said. – South China Morning Post
