In 2004, Gratia work in Fujian began in the depressed town of Daejeon.A children village was about to be built at Sanming. Daejeon is rich in coal.Mountains of coal mined there are seen everywhere. Investing in coal could make one rich enough to build big houses and send children to elite schools. Newly built European-style bungalows adorn the lakeside. The people there are incredibly rich.
But the facade of prosperity obscures the underlying poverty. The rural area of Daejeon presents another image of the city. Simple and crude shanties litter the hillsides in scattered array. The teacher, while conducting us along the way, explained to us that students from rural areas usually walk three hours on average to get back home for the weekend. The round trip takes six hours. Moreover, many youngsters drop out of school, as they have to work to support the livelihood of their family. "Isn't education the right of every youngster?" Every visitor is struck by this question.