Resilience for 1000Left-behind kids in Rural China

Dear Little Stars,

Happy the Year of the Horse! This is Tan Yuan.

Time really does fly faster than we imagine – we've already moved from the Year of the Snake to the Year of the Horse. This past year, full of unexpected twists and turns, has been one where I believe "resilience" is the word that truly defined 2025 for all of us – both for Shining Star as an organization and for each one of you reading this letter. We got through it together, relying on our resilience.

So, please, give yourself a round of applause right now: "Dear resilient me, you've done an amazing job!"

We often hear Shining Star described as "a nonprofit that grows wild and free."  

And it's true. Being grassroots and resilient is in our DNA. It's a quality we see in every full-time team member, every donor, and every volunteer. 

This Year, We Went Further  

In the first half of 2025, we brought our Growth project to a new county – Wuhua County in Meizhou. It's even farther than Huaiji, taking the better part of a day just to reach the schools there. But, dear Litte Stars, the children there have such bright, sparkling eyes. They'd tug at our sleeves and ask, "When will you come back?" The principals, teachers, and social workers there welcomed us like family, taking us bamboo shoot digging, snail hunting in the fields, and treating us to hearty, steaming Hakka meals. The stars shine so brightly in that night sky, and all we want is to help more children shine just as brightly under their own starry skies.

In July, we added seven new project sites in one go – four in Wuhua, two in Huaiji, and one in Daliangshan, Sichuan. That summer was another adventure filled with small miracles. You might find this hard to believe, but Shining Star has now reached over 30 rural primary schools, with 15 of them continuously running our Colorful Campus resilience-building curriculum. This means that every year, at least 2,000 children are learning how to be more resilient in our classrooms!

This Year, We help more Children to walk further 

We've embarked on the second phase of our "Infinite Possibilities" project for left-behind children in middle schools. Through theater, teenagers at Shidong Middle School and Gaji Middle School learned to express their emotions, understand their confusion about friendship, family, love, and their future selves – all while building their resilience.

In September, 22 high school students we had supported for many years graduated and stepped onto their university campuses.  

In October, we traveled along winding mountain paths, visiting family after family, and ultimately added 24 new first-year high school girls to our sponsorship program. We hope that this small scholarship can lighten their burdens just a little, helping them stand taller and walk more steadily on their path to education.

This Year, We Also Learned How to "Grow Up Healthily"  

A healthy organization shouldn't be built on burning anyone out.  

Honestly, progress has been slow over these two years. We haven't fundamentally changed the reality of constant travel, numerous tasks, and scattered workflows. We haven't yet achieved the ideal rhythm of "sowing in spring, growing in summer, harvesting in autumn, and storing in winter." Staff turnover remains a challenge we face. Looking at our peers and the broader environment, it seems everyone is having a tough time. But what's reassuring is that most of our "old partners" are still with us, and gradually, new partners are joining and finding their place here. 

Please don't worry too much. We've made "organizational health" our core goal for the coming year – Shining Star needs to grow, but more importantly, it needs to grow up healthy.

If You Also Wish, Become Part of the Resilience Force  

If you've been touched by this spirit of "resilience," if you'd also like to walk a segment of the path with rural children, then you are most welcome to:

1.  Become a "Steady Stream" Monthly Donor

    You can set up a monthly donation through our GlobalGiving platform. Even the cost of a cup of bubble tea each month can help a child attend a resilience-building class!

2.  Become a "Step-In" Volunteer

    This year, we'll be opening roles for  Volunteers , Growth Teachers, online/offline interns, and volunteers for county visits. If you have the time, or expertise in education, psychology, design, communications, etc., please contact us at shiningstar@shiningstargz.com or send us a direct message for an application link.

3.  Become a "Supportive" Sharer

    Not everyone needs to donate money or time, but every share, every conversation, might help one more person see the true face of rural education. We regularly update our projects across channels like Video Account, WeChat Official Account, and Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu). Your comment, your repost, could be the spark that ignites a chain reaction.

Life is full of challenges, but we'll face every single one of them – together.  

The days ahead might be ordinary, surprising, or full of challenges, but we're no longer afraid. Because resilience isn't about never getting hurt; it's about choosing to grow even after being hurt.

Finally, here is a blessing from Shining Star:  

In this Year of the Horse, may you run like a wild horse on the steppe, galloping freely in the direction you've chosen for yourself – feel every wind, savor every step of the journey, because you deserve all the vastness life has to offer.

Warmly,

Tan Yuan  

On behalf of all the staffs at Shining Star  

February 6, 2026