Education for Blind Chinese Orphans

Dear Friends of Bethel,

As 2025 unfolds, we’re reminded that growth often begins in the smallest moments—braille letters being learned for the first time, a smile on horseback, or a painting made with fingers instead of sight. But the true impact of your support sometimes appears years later, in voices like this one we heard in February:

"I am a child adopted from Bethel China. I recommend Bethel China because the work of the staff and the love of Bethel China’s staff and founders helped me find a family. The passing of time has erased my memory of Bethel China but it is thanks to my late mother that I remember the name of this orphanage and thanks to my older sister, who shared me the website. Bethel China raised me and my sister, who also came from here, until we were adopted. I am now 21 and a college student. Bethel China cares for children. Its mission and its team kickstarted my life."   — [Mr. Lau]

This powerful reflection captures why Bethel exists—and why we are so grateful to have you walking alongside us.

Our Centers at a Glance:

• Beijing (BJ): 18 children
• Zhengzhou (ZZ): 28 children
• Shanxi Rural Center (SR): 53 children
• Jiaozuo (JZ): 10 children (concluded April 2025)
• Nanjing (NJ): 10 children (concluded April 2025)
  
  

January: A Warm Start to the Year

On January 1st, children and staff at our North Center welcomed the New Year with homemade dumplings and celebration. January also brought meaningful visits:

• Jan 10: Lane Crawford employee volunteers visited Beijing Center with New Year gifts.
• January 12 marked a joyful collaboration as students from Self-Reliance volunteered their time to support our children. Their day was filled with laughter, learning, and discovery—from reading tactile books to assisting with craft projects and sensory games. 
• Jan 16–17: At the International Kindergarten of Goodwill, a charity sale of the children’s paintings brought joy and awareness. Teacher Fang taught curious young students how to make braille cards using a braille typewriter.

February: Spring Steps Forward

February marked the Spring Festival, and our children and teachers enjoyed a well-deserved break. Yet even during this quieter time, our mission continued:

• On February 12, Bethel staff were honored to attend a special dinner hosted by Orange Company. We were the only nonprofit organization invited to conduct a charity sale at the event, giving us a unique opportunity to share our work with a new audience. Beyond the evening’s event, Orange continued to support Bethel through its global voice recording project, which creates personalized audio materials for our children, enhancing their learning and connection to the world.
• Through March, our collaboration with ByteDance brought the gift of storytelling to life with a series of seven tactile book workshops. Each session welcomed 13 to 17 dedicated volunteers, who worked alongside us to craft handmade braille storybooks. These books are now in the hands of visually impaired children across China, offering them not just stories, but a tactile connection to literacy and imagination.

March: New Semester, New Steps Forward

With the semester restart, five new students with post-brain-tumor blindness joined Bethel Beijing. These children, who once felt lost after suddenly losing their vision, are now learning braille, using white canes, and regaining their independence.

• On March 7, professional therapists led a healing session for parents to help them manage emotions and support their children’s growth.
• Every Wednesday, our beloved volunteer Ms. Yang brings creative projects that light up the children’s imaginations. Their work will be featured in the "Senses Unleashed" exhibition at the German Embassy from May 15 to July 18.
• March 18: Five children participated in equestrian therapy at HOPE. A new volunteer PE teacher, Mr. Sun, now leads weekly physical education classes on Fridays, bringing energy and fun.
• On March 28, Bethel’s founders brought our second Vision Screener to Western Mumbai, offering vision screenings to children and community members who had never had access before. We’re honored to be part of a global movement to bring light wherever there is need.

Love That Comes Full Circle: A Journey of Impact

Life moves like a path—sometimes straight, sometimes winding, always forward. In April 2025, our partnerships with the Jiaozuo and Nanjing Centers came to a close. Jiaozuo’s new leadership made the decision to end all partnerships with external groups. In Nanjing, a low number of children led the institute to discontinue the program.

These closures mark the end of a chapter, not the story. Bethel remains deeply committed to the children and families in those communities. If support is ever needed, our door stays open. Today, we continue to provide critical services for 99 children—supporting their growth, education, and independence with the same unwavering care that has always defined our mission.

Even more inspiring, new paths are already forming: we’re actively in talks with multiple centers to begin new projects, bringing life-changing support to more children in need.

And in March, life’s journey brought us a powerful reminder of why we do this work—when Michael, Grace, Calliandra and Olivia, now adults, visited Guillaume and Delphine in North Carolina. Years after their first steps at Bethel, they’ve returned—not as students, but as living proof of what’s possible when children are given love, tools, and belief.

A Future Full of Promise

Each child we serve reminds us of why we do this work. We’ve seen what’s possible through stories like Jadon Lau’s—once a student at Bethel, now an inspiring adult walking his own path. Today, we’re walking alongside 99 more children, helping them grow into their futures with confidence and joy.

The journey continues. We’re now working with new partners to open additional centers—bringing care to children who still need it. Your support is the bridge between what is and what could be.

To make these new beginnings possible, we continue to rely on the generosity of people like you. Every donation brings us one step closer to reaching the children still waiting for their chance to thrive.

Thank you for believing in their futures—and in ours.

With gratitude and hope,

The Bethel Team

Links:

• Learn more about Bethel on our website by clicking here.
• To learn more about Bethel, click here to visit our website.