I Have Changed Greatly: Wang Xiaoli’s Story

Girls listen attentively in class.

My name is Wang Xiaoli. I'm an 18-year-old girl from Longxi, Gansu Province. There are more than 10 girls like me in our village who dropped out of school for various family reasons. Girls are not encouraged to leave and work outside of the home, because the local people believe that they will become corrupt and have a difficult time finding a husband. They also believe that girls in their teens have a chance of finding a good husband, but once they are 20, no man will want to marry them because they are too old. As a result, girls in their late teens just stay at home, waiting for a matchmaker to find them a husband.

I left school when I was in junior high because my father fell ill, and we spent almost all the money we had to treat his illness. I lost my self-confidence after leaving school. I felt doomed to farm in the field all my life and marry early like the other girls in the village. I wanted to go out and see the world. At first, my parents did not agree, so I found work in a small inn in the countryside. I felt gloomy thinking of my classmates who were still attending school. At night, I had a reoccurring dream: With mop and bucket in hand, I would show up at the nearby school, asking to be allowed in and learn. But the teacher refused to let me in. My dream was more like a nightmare. Each time, after the dream, I woke up crying. How I wished I could return to the classroom, even if only for one day!

One day, teachers from the Practical Skills Training Center for Rural Women offered me the opportunity to go back to school. When I sat back in the classroom on 16 April, I felt excited. I have changed greatly since I came here. The kind teachers here showed me the value of my life. I have learned to be self-confident. I've also learned that, just like many people have given me things, I should also give to others. I know it is very difficult for girls to realize their dreams in the countryside. So I have now decided to find a good job in Beijing and send money to the Practical Skills Training Center for Rural Women. I want to help other girls like me.