In Ruili City, Yunnan Province, a service center named "Wish-Fulfilling Hut" has been safeguarding the growth of a group of special children for 15 years. What began as a basic care platform offering life assistance has evolved into a comprehensive service hub integrating daily care, academic support, skills training, psychological intervention, and social integration. Through tangible results, the hut has written a heartwarming chapter in the care for special children in border regions.

"The operation of 'Wish-Fulfilling Hut' is not temporary relief but a long-term, stable, and sustainable institutional arrangement," explained an official from the Ruili Health Bureau. The initiative follows a collaborative model led by the government, with multi-department coordination and social participation, ensuring robust institutional support.

**Government Leadership: Strengthening the Care Network** To address the needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS—covering healthcare, education, and employment—Ruili has established a multi-department coordination mechanism. Led by the Health Bureau, resources from the Women’s Federation, education, and civil affairs departments are integrated to create a comprehensive, full-process care network. This ensures targeted support across different domains, providing multi-dimensional safeguards for children’s growth.

The hut also introduced a "Love Mothers" mentorship program, where responsible and experienced female volunteers form long-term bonds with the children. From daily care to psychological counseling, and from study companionship to holiday celebrations, this "quasi-family" warmth helps fill gaps in their upbringing.

Additionally, Ruili has invested in a multi-functional service building equipped with psychological intervention rooms, libraries, and activity spaces. A "government-led, multi-party supplemented" funding mechanism ensures the sustainability and stability of these services.

**Targeted Support: Paving Diverse Paths to Growth** "Leaving no child behind" is the hut’s core principle. Through regular home visits and dynamic assessments, Ruili has built profiles for 430 affected children, providing tiered support based on age, education, and psychological needs.

Academically, the hut offers tutoring,升学 guidance, and psychological support, helping eight children enter higher education and 58 progress to high school or vocational schools. For skills training, practical courses like driving and tailoring have enabled 60 youths to achieve stable employment or start businesses.

"They don’t need labels—they need empowerment," said Luo Yong’an, the hut’s director. "Mastering a skill is key to standing firm in society."

Collaborating with health, education, and women’s federations, the hut organizes book clubs, art courses (dance, guitar, painting), and traditional crafts like ethnic accessory-making, helping 60 children gain vocational skills.

"Before, I dared not dream. Now, I dare to dream, speak, and act," shared a former beneficiary, now a teacher who returns to mentor others—transforming from "recipient" to "helper."

**Moving Forward: Expanding the Legacy of Love** Building on its successes, the hut aims for more refined, comprehensive, and high-quality support, extending its reach to more children facing hardships due to illness or other challenges.

At this new stage, Ruili is documenting the hut’s model for broader replication. Future plans include linking care efforts with rural revitalization and grassroots social governance.

Guided by the principle of "small hut, big love," the initiative strives to become a regional or even national model, ensuring every special child thrives under the sun and chases their dreams. (End)