Article from Reuters World News

This heartbreaking article was posted on our CHI adoption group. It really touches home since Anna Li will be 12.5 when we bring her home. This could of very well been her future in China.

CHINESE CHILDREN SOLD “LIKE CABBAGES” INTO SLAVERY

BEIJING (Reuters) - Thousands of children in southwest China have been sold into slavery like "cabbages", to work as laborers in more prosperous areas such as the booming southern province of Guangdong, a newspaper said on Tuesday.

China announced a nationwide crackdown on slavery and child labor last year after reports that hundreds of poor farmers, children and mentally disabled were forced to work in kilns and mines in Shanxi province and neighboring Henan.

"The bustling child labor market (in Sichuan province) was set up by the local chief foreman and his gang of 18 minor foremen, who each manage 50 to 100 child laborers," the Southern Metropolis Newspaper said.

"The children generally fall between the ages of 13 and 15, but many look under 10," it added.
The newspaper said 76 children from the same county, Liangshan, had been missing since the Chinese Lunar Year festival in February, 42 of whom had already left the region to work.

"The youngest kids found in the child labor market were only seven and nine years old," it said.
According to a contract exposed by an undercover reporter, a child laborer is paid 3.5 yuan ($0.50) an hour and must work at least 300 hours a month.

"These kids are robust and can do the toughest work," a foreman was quoted as saying, as he pulled a scrawny girl to stand beside him, the paper said.

Xinhua news agency said the county government had sent officials to rescue the children, but some were unwilling to leave, having been sold into slavery by their parents or volunteering to work themselves.

($1=7.002 Yuan)
(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Nick Macfie and Valerie Lee)

A Pleasant Suprise

I just love getting information on Yang Li!! We actually received it a week ago but I haven't had time to post it. We received from a friend her measurements which puts her being very close in size to Bethany, our 9 year old daughter.

My favorite part was finding out her favorite color is blue and she wants an electric dog!!
If any of you have an idea of what kind of electric dog she might be talking about please let me know.

We painted her room blue with a lime green stripe around the middle this weekend. As soon as we are done I will post some pictures. This is so exciting! I love it!!