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Description
Teachers of Qiaotou Kindergarten were asked to select ten students ranging from ages two through six to be participants of the Qiaotou Kindergarten Cousin's Program sponsored by Education Advancement Fund International (EAFI).  The teachers chose two students per age group who are from families with more than one child.  Please note that these students were not selected due to financial need as Qiaotou Kindergarten has no official process of assessing family income at this time, and also considering that most students are accepted to this school in the first place due to financial hardship.

Hu Yuan (female, six years old)
Hu Yuan is a bright young girl with short black hair and a shy toothless smile.  When she is not busy in school, Hu Yuan enjoys drawing and watching television.  Her favorite color is red and her favorite toy is her red bike.    She likes to eat bananas and Chinese cabbage.

Hu Yuan comes from a family of four people including her father, mother, and sister who is 18 years old.  Her family waited many years before having another child because they knew they would not be able to support a second child until their first daughter was older.  Hu Yuan's family lives just outside of Baojing town in Zi Tong Ge.  Her mother is the sole financial provider of the family since Hu Yuan's father is very ill.  Hu Yuan's mother provides a clothes washing service to different homes in Baojing.

According to her teachers, Hu Yuan is an excellent student who always listens to what she is told.  She is especially creative in her art project assignments and makes it a point to patiently share the much desired art supplies with her classmates.  Hu Yuan will attend the first grade this fall.

Liu Xiao Ke (female, six years old)
Liu Xiao Ke is a sweet young girl with wild pig tails and many colorful pins in her hair.  She likes to sing and dance and play with her red stuffed bear.  Her favorite food is watermelon.

Liu Xiao Ke lives with her grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, older brother and older sister.  Both her mother and father find different jobs everyday as services are needed.  These types of odd jobs could include building a wall, construction, or hauling goods.  This work is not very dependable and there are days when her parents are not able to find any work.

Liu Xiao Ke is not very talkative, but she is always an active participant in the day's activities.  According to her teachers she writes very well and is well-behaved.  When asked for volunteers from the class she is one of the first to raise her hand and use her lively personality to make the lesson more fun and interesting.   

Zheng Yu Tong (female, five years old)
Zheng Yu Tong is a self-confident young girl who is a leader in her class.  She has short black hair and always has a huge smile on her face.  She likes to dance and play with her stuffed black bear.  Zheng Yu Tong's favorite thing to eat is lollipops with gum in the center.  Her favorite colors are red and yellow.

Zheng Yu Tong lives with her grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, and two older sisters who are fourteen and seventeen years old.  Her family lives in the village of Zheng Jia Bao where her parents are farmers.

Although she is very young herself, Zheng Yu Tong makes it a point to look out for her younger classmates and comfort them when they are sad or hurt.  When learning anything new, she is always the first to answer the question at hand.  She is very bright and learns quickly.  Zheng Yu Tong especially enjoys learning new songs and dances, and is not afraid to come to the front of the class to perform a task.

Li Zheng Qing (male, five years old)
Li Zheng Qing is an energetic young boy who eagerly participates in class activities.  He always has a closely shaved head and a sly smile on his face.  During his free, Li Zheng Qing likes to play with his brother, write characters, and have his parents read him a story.  His favorite toy is his dump truck, favorite food is xiao long bao (small stuffed buns), and favorite color is red.

Li Zheng Qing lives in the Zheng Jia Bao village with his father, mother, and older brother who is nine years old.  His parents are both farmers.

His teachers describe Li Zheng Qing as a good student who excels in counting, art, and writing characters.  He stands out as a lively student who always wants to be an active part of the activity at hand whether it be pulling a mysterious item out of a bag or helping the class learn how to address family members.

Sha Meng (female, four years old)
Sha Meng is a talkative young girl with many friends.  Her favorite color to wear is yellow and her favorite food is apples.  While at home Sha Meng likes to dance and play with her red stuffed bear.

Sha Meng lives in Liao Jia Po village with her parents and two sisters who are eight and ten years old.  Her family rents one room for the five of them within an old home for 50 RMB (about US$6) per month.  The family has no kitchen so they cook their food outside.  Sha Meng's mother collects and recycles trash for money while her father is a farmer.

Sha Meng is regarded as an average student by her teachers.  She likes to play and talk with her friends.  However, she does write well and listens to what is asked of her.  

Peng Tao (male, four years old)
Peng Tao is a rascal little boy who loves to play outside during free time.  At home he enjoys playing with his red toy car and walking through the countryside.  His favorite color is red and he likes to wear the color black.  His favorite foods are pears and apples.

Peng Tao lives with his grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, older sister who is eight years old, and younger sister who is two years old.  His family lives in Zheng Jia Bao village where both his parents are farmers.  According to his teachers, Peng Tao's family situation is especially difficult and they often endure much suffering in trying to provide for such a large family.

Peng Tao's teachers say that he is a smart student that learns quickly.

Tian Yi (female, three years old)
Tian Yi is an attentive student that always sits at the front of the class.  She likes to sing, dance, and play games with her sister.  Her favorite color is red and her favorite food is pork.

Tian Yi lives with her grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, and sister who is seven years old.  They live in the countryside in the village of Duan Qiao where her parents are both farmers.

Tian Yi's teachers explain her as an involved and conscientious student always eager to learn.

Peng Meng Yan (female, three years old)
Peng Meng Yan is an adorable young girl with a bright smile she will only bless you with occasionally.  She likes the color red and enjoys playing outside with her older sister.

Peng Meng Yan lives in the Mei Fa village with her grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, and her one year old and seven year old sisters.  Both of her parents are farmers.

Peng Meng Yan's teachers say that she is a very cute and energetic student.

Tian Lin Qi (female, two years old)
Tian Lin Qi is a very mature young girl that gets along well with her older classmates.  Her favorite color is blue and she likes to eat candy.

Tian Lin Qi lives in the village of Zheng Jia Bao with her grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, and nine year old sister.  Both of her parents are farmers, and spend their days planting crops in the mountains. 

Although Tian Lin Qi is only two years old, she is included in the class of three, four, and five year old students.  Many of her neighbors are in this class, so she feels very comfortable with these older students.  Her teachers regard her as a bright young girl who is very well-behaved. 

Wang Qiong Xiao (female, two years old)
Wang Qiong Xiao is a quiet young girl who often misses her parents while at school.  Her favorite color is yellow.

She lives just outside of Baojing town in Yu Yang with her grandmother, father, mother, and ten year old sister.  Both of her parents are farmers.

Wang Qiong Xiao is also in a class of older students because she seems to do better there.  She is a quiet student that will slowly follow instructions after being asked.  Throughout the day she cries for her mother and waits patiently for the moment when she can see her parents at the end of the day.