Many poverty-stricken students lack shoes - survey

Many students in poverty-stricken counties lack shoes throughout the year, even becoming frostbite victims, Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday citing a survey by the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation.

China Philanthropy Advisors, an advisory and evaluation organization for the country's philanthropic sector, conducted the survey for the foundation in February and March.

It polled 127 students aged from 7 to 19 in the Daliangshan Mountain area in Sichuan province, and 187 students aged from 8 to 17 in Bijie city, Guizhou province.

On Monday, the foundation will begin donating shoes to primary school students in five poverty-stricken counties in the two areas.

The survey found it is a luxury for many of the students polled to have two pairs of shoes a year, with some having only one pair for two years. Their shoes are worn out, broken and shared with siblings.

The students also have frostbite, bruising and even broken legs from bad falls. Many are too embarrassed to do sports during PE class, the report found.

Yixi, a fourth-grade pupil in Daliangshan, Sichuan province, had a new pair of shoes in the summer of 2012. She feels proud wearing them in front of her schoolmates, but takes them off for the mountainous journey home from school. Bare foot, she helps her mother with chores so that her shoes will not be stained and last longer.

Yixi has three siblings. The family of six lives on an income of 500 yuan ($80) a year, and owes 3,000 yuan to relatives. Her parents cannot afford new clothes and shoes for the children.

Zhang Yiqi, a project manager at China Philanthropy Advisors, said the real names of interviewees were kept confidential in the survey report at their request.

The report recommended that donations of shoes be organized in 680 counties in 14 major poverty-stricken areas.