This year, on 8 June, the 7th Annual Morning Tears Fundraising BBQ, again in the gardens of the Belgian embassy. We were all worried with the rain clouds but we were spared from a shower. I guess many did not come because of the menacing clouds.
The food and drinks were done by our good friends Renaat Morel and Patrick Desmet (The Tree), so we all got to eat and drink too much.
We came with a group of around 25, all Chinese faces except myself. We had in our group a famous Chinese calligrapher and painter who donated some of his work to Morning Tears and Renaat & Susan.
The Rotary Club of Beijing has been working with the NGO Morning Tears. Their work with children of imprisoned parents has earned the respect from the Chinese government.
See: http://www.morningtears.org.cn/index.php?id=238&L=1
Morning Tears is an organization for children whose parents are in prison.
It started in 1999 as a small organization in China without formal structure. Today Morning Tears is a registered Non-Governmental Organization with legal accreditations for child protection in several countries around the world. Over 9 million people are held in prison institutions around the world. Prison populations are growing in nearly all the countries of the world. The psychological problems and emotional pains that children face are often overwhelming. The arrest of a parent causes fear, confusion and panic. Before and during the trail children feel anxiety and frustration. When their parent is being sentenced they feel hopeless and helpless. Stigmas and Biases become part of their childhood.