OMY: Mahai’s Gift To The World

Our One More Year (OMY) Scholarship Program aims to support 500 girls from impoverished backgrounds for one more year. We closely work with and mentor these girls to break the chain of extreme poverty in their families. One of those girls is Mahai Shizuo (22). Here’s her story.

Mahai’s father passed away when she was younger, leaving only her and her mother at home. In China, it is quite common for families to possess their own land. She and her mother have about 8 acres, where they grew corn and potatoes, and raised pigs, chickens, and a cow. This farming is what keeps them afloat. But poverty in rural China is quite a serious issue. While having these resources may sound abundant in other countries, annually, all this hard work only makes them CNY 11,000 (USD 1,506). This amount is not enough to fully support her schooling and sudden medical emergencies. What is impressive about it is how this was mostly done by her mother! She is a truly hardworking woman who continuously prioritizes her child’s education because she believes that education is the way out of poverty. She knows that through education, she could easily find a reputable job and good pay, away from all the dirt and animal manure that they associate with poverty.

When we visited their home, we could just tell how this mother-daughter tandem loves each other. Her mother shared some lovely stories about her. Every time she returns home during the holidays, she helps her with farm work and household chores like shelling corn, cutting pig grass, and collecting firewood in the mountains.

Mahai, on the other hand, is a truly charismatic child who is secure with herself. She is outgoing and hardworking. Despite her family’s living conditions, she has never felt inferior to her peers. When we asked what her dream was, she answered enthusiastically, “To be a teacher!” Her profound appreciation for education goes beyond her benefit. To her, it is a gift she has received and wishes to give to the world.