HELP OUR FAMILY STAY TOGETHER

Fundraising is new to me, but after trying everything, I am brought to my knees, kindly asking for whatever little or large help that you can provide.

I escaped a poverty-stricken village on an island in the Caribbean, I went to China on a work visa, I have been a teacher there. My husband was awarded a Masters scholarship, we were not lavish but comfortable.

I have a natural love for business, I burst with ideas, I am a creative and so I left my mundane teaching job in pursuit of my own tutoring company. I was in a good place in my life, my husband was very proud that I was brave enough to pursue my dreams, I felt like I was fulfilling my life’s purpose, starting a business that really made a difference in the lives of children.

A total of CNY ¥150,000 / USD $20,833 was invested for the start-up of our new educational center, this was a combination of most of our personal savings plus loans from family and friends. The amount invested could have only covered the first half of the financial year but I believed that starting a business at that time was a good idea. 3 months after our opening, we found out that I was pregnant with our first baby. This start-up ultimately failed very soon after, I had to choose between my family and my dreams. I chose my family. I will always choose my family though this choice left us with literally USD $0.91 cents in our bank account combined.

Short of finance, I was unable to get the necessary maternity care I needed in China and so I was forced to borrow some more money, a total of CNY ¥20,000 /USD $2700 from family to take care of my travel expenses to return home, alone – my husband being on scholarship.

We have been making magic on his CNY ¥3000/ USD $416 scholarship stipend for the last year or so, this has added a strain I have never imagined possible. Financial headache should not be what a new family has to deal with, it takes away from the joyful birth of a first born and adds mental and emotional trauma to both parents. It may even threaten the foundation of the relationship with your spouse and child. I was in a very dark place internally but having a husband as supportive as I have, makes this time go by very fast.

2 weeks ago, my daughter said the words Da Da for the first time and I cried because she had to say it to a computer screen. I grew up in a home where my father had to spend months away from his family, this was the only option he had. I refuse to imagine the same life for my daughter, this is not the vision we hold for family.

This crowd funding campaign was created to raise funds so that both myself and my daughter would be able to return to China on the 9^th of March 2020, we chose this date because our daughter’s 1^st birthday is the following week. This would be a lovely birthday gift for her.

The following us a breakdown of all the expenses needed in order to make this happen, a donation of any kind would add towards this goal.

Upon getting to China, I would be given the opportunity of returning to the work force or continuing on the path of my entrepreneurial dreams but to get there, I need you. I have set the funding campaign amount very low because I am most interested in reuniting my family, however, it would be lovely if from this campaign I am able to pay off all debts owed so that my family can start again on a clean slate.