The World Beyond Her Village

Since receiving her eyeglasses, Huijiao has been very eager to participate in class

This 11-year-old girl’s name is Gao Huijiao and she is a student at Zizhou Yucai Primary School in Shaanxi Province. The optician who diagnosed her with myopia learned that Huijiao’s parents never paid much attention to their daughter’s poor eyesight because—like many parents in poverty-stricken rural areas—they are too busy working to support their family.

Hujiao lives close to her school and usually heads back to the school courtyard to play with her friends right after having lunch at home. She was a little embarrassed when we asked her why. "I am always bored because I live with my grandmother and have nothing to do at home after lunch. If I go back, I can skip rope with my friends for a little while before afternoon classes start.”

"Though Huijiao has always been an outgoing girl, she had never raised her hand in class because she could not read the blackboard. Now that she can see clearly, she is always eager to be called on—and she usually gets the answer right!”

When asked what she generally did with her free time, she laughed and said, “My favorite hobby is to stand by the gate of my school and count the shiny cars passing by. Usually, I can count the number with only one hand! I also make up stories about where the people inside are going.”

Two weeks ago, the REAP/OneSight “Seeing is Learning” team gave this adorable girl a free pair of eyeglasses. Her teacher told us that since then, the change in Hujiao has been remarkable. "Though Hujiao has always been an outgoing girl, she had never raised her hand in class because she could not read the blackboard. Now that she can see clearly, she is always eager to be called on—and she usually gets the answer right!”

This adorable girl is very passionate about studying and hopes that by succeeding in school, she will have a chance to explore the world beyond her mountain village and maybe even buy her own car someday!

Huijiao hopes to someday explore the world beyond her mountain village by succeeding in school