Life as a Field Staff – an article by Phoenix

Hi, my name is Hou Fengjiao, but everyone at Captivating calls me Phoenix. I work as a member of the field staff of the Northern China Heilongjiang project.  As a part of the field staff I am responsible for visiting all of the children in our program and their families as a Captivating representative.  I collect information so we can provide progress reports for sponsors.  I really enjoy working with Captivating because this job has a great purpose and is very meaningful.  When I see the difference made by Captivating and the appreciation from the children, the families and the teachers I feel proud of our company and our mission.  I live in the city and many families that I visit live in the countryside which is far away.  Sometimes I need travel several hours to get to just one family.  It is difficult journey and I am afraid to travel alone, but when I see the children’s happy smiling faces I forget all of the struggles I endured while traveling to see them.

I have been to many families while working with this project, and one girl in particular named, Sun Zhe, touched me very deeply.  She looked so cheerful compared to our previous visit, and it seemed as though she moved pass her father’s death.   Sun Zhe’s mother is the sole provider for the family.  She earns money by working in a vegetable store.  This time when I was visiting the family, Sun Zhe’s mom was selling vegetables.   When her mother saw me, she warmly welcomed me into the store even though she was busy.  While seeing me, Sun Zhe, cleaned up the Kang (a coal heated brick bed) and let me sit down and warm up while waiting for her mom.  Sun Zhe is a wonderful girl, and I have had the pleasure to see her many times.  She knows that we have helped her a lot, and she is very grateful for everything.  Over the years she has developed into a sensible and generous young woman.  She figures out new ways to help her mom and take care of her younger brother.  She also helps greet customers to help her mother’s work.  Her mother talked to me privately about the family and from what she said I could sense she was really grateful for our help.

Even though her life has been a little rocky she has always had a sweet smile on her cheerful face.  I hope she can face all of the future difficulties s in her life and overcome them like this in the future.

(Pictured Top: Sun Zhe; Bottom, Our field stuff Phoenix, Sun Zhe’s mum and Sun Zhe).