Kindly educator helps delinquent rejoin society
A few days before Spring Festival, a young man emerged from the gate of Zhengzhou's juvenile remand center. Greeting him on the other side was a middle-aged woman.
The man wept as he embraced her. "Thank you, Mother Guo."
"Xiaodong, let's not cry," she said. "I've been waiting for this moment for nine years!"
The woman was Guo Fuhua, chairwoman of Henan Institute of Education's trade union. She was there to welcome Xiaodong back into society.
Guo first met Xiaodong in the spring of 1999, when she led a group of college students to the remand center on a field trip. She got to know about Xiaodong, who refused to talk to anyone at that time. She learned that the then 15-year-old was serving a 17-year sentence.
Feeling sorry for the teenager, Guo decided to help him get his life back on track.
Guo consulted psychology experts about Xiaodong's case and decided to write him a letter.
She wrote three letters to Xiaodong, but didn't receive a reply, so she visited the remand center again. Guo was told Xiaodong had received the letters, which he'd pored over many times. This gave her hope.
On dongzhi, or winter solstice, in December, she sent Xiaodong a box of dumplings, the traditional festival food. Soon after she received a letter from Xiaodong.
That was the beginning of their letter writing.
When she could, Guo visited Xiaodong at the remand center, bringing him clothes and books and doing his laundry for him.
Guo has written Xiaodong 80 letters and sent him more than 200 books in the past nine years.
Guo's love and care encouraged Xiaodong to study hard and he earned many awards during his time at the remand center.
He learned to use a computer and to operate printing machines. The remand center recognized his good behavior and cut his sentence from 17 to nine years.
On the eve of his release, Xiaodong phoned Guo, calling her "Mom" for the first time.
That was a sleepless night for Guo.
She arrived at the remand center early the next morning. When Xiaodong appeared, wearing the new outfit and shoes she had bought him, she cried tears of joy.
"I will try my best to be useful to society, to thank you for your kindness, love and care," Xiaodong said.
China Daily
(China Daily 03/04/2008 page6)
