Still, There Is Light…

I’m guessing I’m not the only one who’s given up reading the news.

So much sorrow. So much loss. It hurts too much. And lately, the rare gift of free time with no place to go just doesn’t seem like much of a gift after all. I should be on the road right now, working for the kids.

These past three months, I’ve felt pretty helpless as our offices and early learning centers in China and Vietnam and Mongolia closed their doors. Our teachers, family mentors and caregivers have done their best to keep the work alive online; but these days we really miss those hugs!

And as I’ve watched our programs—the programs that bring loving attention and the joy of learning to so many once-forgotten little children—as I’ve watched them slow almost to a standstill, I worry. I worry about the precious childhood hours lost.

As world economies crumble, I worry whether the support that’s kept us going for 22 years will still be there to help us turn the lights back on. And, since a few of you have you asked—yes, it’s been especially tough to raise funds for our programs in China lately.

But among all the worrisome and deeply sad things about this time, there are moments when a sliver of sunshine cuts through the gloom and warms everything. For instance, this smile:

And, the excitement of, finally, after three long months, getting ready to go back to school!

And the first day back!

Just in time for Mother’s Day, here is a truly bright ray of sunshine:

After 3 1/2 years of determined efforts by dozens of friends of the children, despite political protests and pandemic…. OneSky is beyond delighted (and relieved!) to celebrate that special day by opening the doors at last to our brand-new P.C. Lee OneSky Global Center for Early Childhood Development in Hong Kong, where, despite its glittering image, one in five children live in poverty.

Appropriate for the day, first to open is the Family Center. A place where single moms, new immigrants, ethnic minorities and local families simply struggling through these difficult days can bring their small children. The center offers a clean, safe place to play, facilitated play and learn spaces, parenting skills workshops and counseling. And it’s all free!

It’s thanks to our amazing supporters that OneSky is able to give this Mother’s Day gift that will last for generations.

So here’s to all the caring mothers (and fathers and aunties and uncles) out there. Here’s to all the ones who give the gift of  love to children growing up without it. The teachers and nannies…

The grannies…

And sometimes even big brothers…

Just as there are many kinds of families, there’s more than one kind of motherly love. So to all of you with a loving heart—all who take the time to brighten a child’s life, we celebrate you! Happy Mother’s Day!

Thanks to the ones who care, there is more that is right with our world than wrong. Even in dark times, still, there is light.