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On a wing and a prayer
By Wing Tan |
February 21, 2009, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE retired father of triplets thought he hit the jackpot when his children were born four years ago, but now the economic realities of raising such a large family have settled in, writes Wing Tan
Fang Liexiang loves her children, but she and her husband are having a hard time raising the triplets. "It's pretty hard to make ends meet," Fang says sadly while eating a bowl of instant noodles in the family's dimly lit kitchen that is messed up with oily old bottles, pots, dishes and worn-out toys.
Four years ago, Fang and her retired husband Jiang Guisheng, 62, felt blessed to have triplets. And even though they still cherish their children today, the economic reality of raising them is a heavy burden for the poor family.
In 2005, a picture of Jiang shows him with his triplets. The headline - One boy and two girls - ran on the front pages of some local newspapers. TV newscasts also ran their story.
"All of a sudden, I've got a son and two daughters. It feels like hitting the jackpot," Jiang was quoted as saying four years ago.
Four years later, however, Jiang, a native of Pudong New Area, is worried because of the high monthly costs of raising the three children.
The triplets might be too many for Jiang and Fang, a migrant worker from Jiangxi Province, who is jobless now.
The children's kindergarten tuition, medical expenses, clothes, food and daily necessities take up Jiang's 1,900-yuan monthly (US$279.4) pension and a 480-yuan subsidy granted by the local government.
"No one wants an employee with three children to take care of," Fang says with a sigh. "To take care of the children has occupied all of my time."
She has tried several times to find a full-time job as a waitress, dish washer and janitor, but no one has hired her. She now does some sewing work that earns her about 50 yuan per month.
Life is as hard as the couple expected four years ago when the three babies were still in their mother's womb. Fang considered an abortion, but Jiang was against the idea as it was his first marriage.
"I badly wanted a child. I think each child is a gift given by God," Jiang says. "But it's just too many."
Without money to buy diapers, they made their own by tearing bed sheets into diapers. Everyday they needed 60 pieces as each baby needed at least 20 a day. The cheapest domestic milk powder priced at 60 yuan per tin was also hard to afford.
"Our children can eat meat only during the festivals," the father says. "Meat is too expensive for us." Cheap potatoes, green soy beans and cucumbers are the staples of the triplets' diet.
Last May, the family moved into a new 60-square-meter flat in Gaoqiao Town from a shabby 14-square-meter shed in Yangjing area with the subsidy from Jiang's company. "The kids finally can have a little place to play," the mother says, though their new rooms remain undecorated due to a lack of money. The three kids Jiang Jinjin, Jiang Jinyu and Jiang Jinlan are four years old now. All of their clothes, shoes and toys, used or new, are given by warm-hearted neighbors and donated by those who have read news articles and were willing to help.
The triplets have never gone to children's parks because there is an admission fee. Only once have the kids pestered their mother for a boat ride after they heard of one of their playmates' experiences at a theme park. "I had to tell them that the three of them were too heavy for a small boat," Fang said.
Jiang didn't plan to send the kids to kindergarten at first because the tuition - 500 yuan per child per semester - was quite a large sum of money for the family. But their son Jinjin shouted, cried and begged for days, saying, "Why can't we go to school, just like other kids? Why can't we? Why can't we?"
After seeing other children of the same age counting in English, the parents gave in. They found a kindergarten that is a 40-minute walk from home.
It caused another problem - taking the kids to school and bringing them home safely every day.
Jiang invested in a second-hand rickshaw and adapted it to prevent the kids from dropping out. However, Jinjin still fell out somehow and broke his leg one day in October.
"The kids fight, laugh and jump in the tricycle. How could they not drop out? These energetic little devils can even turn the vehicle over," Fang says, a little frustrated.
After the accident, they decided Jiang would pedal the rickshaw while Fang would ride a bicycle in behind to monitor the kids.
The parents fear thinking about the future when the triplets reach the age to enroll into primary school, middle school and even college.
They read in a newspaper article that the average cost to raise a child to 18 years old is 490,000 yuan. They've got three.
"I'm going to find a part-time job when they grow bigger," the mother says. "We can't live on donations for ever."
If you want to help the family in any form, you can write to features@shanghaidaily.com. We will ensure all gifts and money get to the family.
Fang Liexiang loves her children, but she and her husband are having a hard time raising the triplets. "It's pretty hard to make ends meet," Fang says sadly while eating a bowl of instant noodles in the family's dimly lit kitchen that is messed up with oily old bottles, pots, dishes and worn-out toys.
Four years ago, Fang and her retired husband Jiang Guisheng, 62, felt blessed to have triplets. And even though they still cherish their children today, the economic reality of raising them is a heavy burden for the poor family.
In 2005, a picture of Jiang shows him with his triplets. The headline - One boy and two girls - ran on the front pages of some local newspapers. TV newscasts also ran their story.
"All of a sudden, I've got a son and two daughters. It feels like hitting the jackpot," Jiang was quoted as saying four years ago.
Four years later, however, Jiang, a native of Pudong New Area, is worried because of the high monthly costs of raising the three children.
The triplets might be too many for Jiang and Fang, a migrant worker from Jiangxi Province, who is jobless now.
The children's kindergarten tuition, medical expenses, clothes, food and daily necessities take up Jiang's 1,900-yuan monthly (US$279.4) pension and a 480-yuan subsidy granted by the local government.
"No one wants an employee with three children to take care of," Fang says with a sigh. "To take care of the children has occupied all of my time."
She has tried several times to find a full-time job as a waitress, dish washer and janitor, but no one has hired her. She now does some sewing work that earns her about 50 yuan per month.
Life is as hard as the couple expected four years ago when the three babies were still in their mother's womb. Fang considered an abortion, but Jiang was against the idea as it was his first marriage.
"I badly wanted a child. I think each child is a gift given by God," Jiang says. "But it's just too many."
Without money to buy diapers, they made their own by tearing bed sheets into diapers. Everyday they needed 60 pieces as each baby needed at least 20 a day. The cheapest domestic milk powder priced at 60 yuan per tin was also hard to afford.
"Our children can eat meat only during the festivals," the father says. "Meat is too expensive for us." Cheap potatoes, green soy beans and cucumbers are the staples of the triplets' diet.
Last May, the family moved into a new 60-square-meter flat in Gaoqiao Town from a shabby 14-square-meter shed in Yangjing area with the subsidy from Jiang's company. "The kids finally can have a little place to play," the mother says, though their new rooms remain undecorated due to a lack of money. The three kids Jiang Jinjin, Jiang Jinyu and Jiang Jinlan are four years old now. All of their clothes, shoes and toys, used or new, are given by warm-hearted neighbors and donated by those who have read news articles and were willing to help.
The triplets have never gone to children's parks because there is an admission fee. Only once have the kids pestered their mother for a boat ride after they heard of one of their playmates' experiences at a theme park. "I had to tell them that the three of them were too heavy for a small boat," Fang said.
Jiang didn't plan to send the kids to kindergarten at first because the tuition - 500 yuan per child per semester - was quite a large sum of money for the family. But their son Jinjin shouted, cried and begged for days, saying, "Why can't we go to school, just like other kids? Why can't we? Why can't we?"
After seeing other children of the same age counting in English, the parents gave in. They found a kindergarten that is a 40-minute walk from home.
It caused another problem - taking the kids to school and bringing them home safely every day.
Jiang invested in a second-hand rickshaw and adapted it to prevent the kids from dropping out. However, Jinjin still fell out somehow and broke his leg one day in October.
"The kids fight, laugh and jump in the tricycle. How could they not drop out? These energetic little devils can even turn the vehicle over," Fang says, a little frustrated.
After the accident, they decided Jiang would pedal the rickshaw while Fang would ride a bicycle in behind to monitor the kids.
The parents fear thinking about the future when the triplets reach the age to enroll into primary school, middle school and even college.
They read in a newspaper article that the average cost to raise a child to 18 years old is 490,000 yuan. They've got three.
"I'm going to find a part-time job when they grow bigger," the mother says. "We can't live on donations for ever."
If you want to help the family in any form, you can write to features@shanghaidaily.com. We will ensure all gifts and money get to the family.
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