Volunteer moms comfort left-behind children

When Xi Jingmin first met eight-year-old He Shuoxin earlier this year in a village near the city of Dingzhou in north China's Hebei Province, the girl barely spoke a word.

Xi, an accountant who has a seven-year-old daughter of her own, came into He's life through "Volunteer Mother," a charity program sponsored by the local branch of the All-China Women's Federation.

Xi has used her spare time to take care of the girl, a "left-behind child" whose parents are living and working in another city. Rural areas of China have many such children, as their parents can provide for their families more easily by seeking out higher-paying jobs in urban areas.

"The girl is now very close to me. I do as much as I can to make her happier," Xi said.

The federation said in a report released earlier this month that there are as many as 60 million left-behind children in rural areas.

He's father is deceased and her mother works as a maid in big cities to support the family, leaving He at home in the village with her grandparents.

Shi Huimin, spokeswoman for the Hebei provincial branch of All-China Women's Federation, said the federation has created a database for all of the left-behind children in the province that details their personalities, as well as their financial situation, in order to help find suitable "volunteer mothers" for them.