CHINA SOCIAL VALUE
To create social change in China, we have visited Spain, Japan, France and China.
In China (and also in Spain and Japan) we have supported the organization Morning Tears, which helps and protects children, who’s parents are in jail. Often it is the mother who kills the father when she can’t take the violence anymore, and she’s then either sentenced to life in prison or a death penalty. We have raised money to build an orphanage for some of these children, who otherwise were left all alone and traumatized. Morning Tears give them a new home, care, food, clothes, education, medical help and psychological help.
HAVE WE MADE A DIFFERENCE FOR MORNING TEARS?
After our trip I asked Koen Sevenants – founder of Morning Tears – what it meant that Pølle shed light on them. He said:
“The world of a child whose parents are executed or lifelong imprisoned is destroyed. Morning Tears helps children to rebuild their world. This is only possible with the help of many people. The hotdogstand is working to build a new house for children. Soon the construction will start. The house will be the scenery for the rest of their childhood and youth. It will not be merely a construction of stones. It will be the construction of their lifes.”
SOCIAL VALUE: MORNING TEARS
- Building an orphanage for Morning Tearrs in the Henan Province, China.
- Visiting Morning Tears’ orphanage in Xian, which was a huge experience for the children and created hopes and dreams about the future.
- Collection and exposure for Morning Tears in China, Spain and Japan.
- Money for running the orphanage through a cooperation with Langenæs Bageren in Aarhus
The Hotdog stand went to Shanghai in 2008, invited by the Danish trading consul to participate in a big Fashion and Design Exhibition. During this visit we took a 21 hour ride by train into the country, to reach the city called Xian, where we visited a Morning Tears orphanage with 42 children. In a suitcase we brought Danish sausages, bread, dressings, crispy fried oniens and Cocio Chocolate Milk.
The children got a unique and positive experience in a difficult every day life and they loved the Danish hotdogs. We gave them the collection of H.C. Andersen’s fairy tales and in Chinese we read “The Ugly Duckling” out loud. It was a story they could identify themselves with, and through drawings the children told about their own hopes and dreams for the future.
THE ORPHANAGE IS BUILD IN THE HENAN PROVINCE
In 2009 we went to Japan and Spain to promote the climate summit in Copenhagen along with the Danish embassies. During both trips we also collected money for the orphanage in China. The collections in 2008 and 2009 and an auction with player-shirts, which was held in NRGi Park, Aarhus, in connection with a SAS-Liga-game, made it possible for us to build an orphanage for 12 children and their 2 caregivers.
We call it The Butterfly as a symbol of a beautiful and playing soul. I am so happy to have created this! It can only be done because of all my lovely volunteer Hotdog Agents, the Danish embassies around the world and the companies that, like us, are passionate about creating positive social change. Together we make the biggest difference.
HUODIE FAMILY MEANS THE BUTTERFLY FAMILY
The butterfly family is just like a real family (Koen Sevenants is in the top right corner). All the children come from country-like places in the Henan Province. The caregivers describe the children and themselves:
- Zhuangzhuang, boy, 11 years old, he likes to sing and to play sports.
- Huanhuan, girl, 8 years old. Her damily is very poor and her mother has been sentenced to prison for 12 years because of violence in the family.
- Yalong, boy, 8 years old. When he sings, he becomes a very nice boy. His birthday is the 20thof October.
- Yi Long, boy, 6 years old. He is a peaceful child, always smiles when you either look at him or talk to him.
- Haohao, boy, 8 years old. He likes to draw and to play games.
- Xue Man, girl, 10 years old. She is very clever in school and sometimes misses her grandparents.
- Liu Meng, girl, 11 years old. She’s starting to become interested in boys and has a good health.
- Gao Lu,girl, 6 years old. She is a very nice child and has very bright eyes. She is the youngest in the house so far.
- Dao Nuoye, 42 years old. Comes from the city where the orphanage is located. She’s the one who always thinks of ways to make the children happier.
- Nai Aizhen, 39 years old. Also comes from the city, where the orhanage is located. She likes to talk to the children and to tell stories. She’s cooks well, which the children loves.
Update 2017
All the children from the orphanage in the Henan Province,China, has been placed in foster families. Morning Tears China has become an independent part of the Morning Tears organization and concentrates on protecting children of prisoned parents all around China. The cooperation with the Morning Tears organization remains and it is a great success that Morning Tears China now is independent and driven by local enthusiasts. The buildings which the orphanage used now work as a provincial hospital.