Rescued from a life of crime by strangers

Tan Denghong, 39, a farmer in Yumuzhai village, Hubei province

I was 9 years old when my mother left our family in Yumuzhai, a village in Hubei province, which is surrounded by mountains. We were very poor because there was very little suitable farmland on the mountain slopes. We regarded rice as luxury food because it was only available for a few months after the harvest. We ate corn most of the time.

During my schooldays, I never ate lunch, because we had no food. Sometimes, I couldn't bear the hunger so I stole radishes and sweet potatoes from the fields to eat.