Woman goes 2 million into debt running orphanage for over 100 kids

A Hebei Province woman has gone into 2 million yuan ($ 286,000) of debt since 1996 to fund care for 103 children, mostly orphans and those who were abandoned, Shaanxi-based Chinese Business View reported Wednesday.

Wu’an city resident Li Lijuan, 46, started helping children after her drug addict ex- husband tried to sell their son to a trafficker in 1996.

In 2006 she registered her Love Village orphanage and these days she doesn’t have to look for children to help, they are sent to her.

Most of the abandoned children were born with diseases or disabilities. Of the 29 children she adopted last year, 20 were born prematurely.

“They are all my kids and I know every kid’s name, appearance and health conditions. Remembering the date they were sent to me is tough because sometimes a few arrive on the same day,” Li said.

“We have a group birthday party on May 9 since I took in the first child on that day in 1996,” Li remarked.

Li used to run a coal mine which made almost 1 million yuan a year. When that business went bust, she paid the orphanage’s 50,000 yuan a month running costs by growing crops and livestock.

“Each kid gets 400 yuan a month from the government and there are donations too, such as HK$ 2 million from a Hong Kong resident,” she said

Some of the kids have repaid her kindness financially when they reach adulthood and others have adopted kids of their own.

“I was diagnosed with cancer in 2011. Life is too short to waste,” Li said.