Beijing charity bazaars help disadvantaged children from poor families in Gansu

Born deaf in an impoverished household in Northwest China's Gansu province, 7-year-old Wang Xinlian was only able to communicate through simple gestures for many years. As she reached school age, her disability's impact on her learning abilities became too obvious for her father Wang Zhonghui to ignore.

He took her to a renowned hospital in neighboring Shaanxi province and was told a cochlear implant was the only solution.

"But the surgery would cost up to 200,000 yuan ($28,920), I was told," said the 46-year-old farmer, who has little education and also takes up additional work at nearby construction sites from time to time to provide for his family of four.