The Will Story
It all began with a foster mother's dream.
In 2006, Pilar's family took in a foster child, J. J., an orphan from the Shanxi province. He needed urgent medical treatments at a hospital in Shanghai to fix his bilateral cleft lip. After his 3rd surgery, they realized it was better for his future to live with them in Shanghai. They knew they could offer him a better chance in life than that of the orphanage.
Pilar couldn't find a place that would understand the educational needs of her foster son. China is investing a lot in helping children to become young adults who are able to succeed not just here but also abroad. Mainstream schools however, while still academically rigorous, cannot accommodate slow learners, and special needs schools solely cater to children with severe learning disabilities, such as Down's Syndrome or Cerebral Palsy.
Her son did not fit into any of these categories, and thus found himself in an educational limbo. Thinking of possible solutions, Pilar began to dream of the possibility of creating a learning center for kids who are like her foster child, slow learners but totally capable of learning and succeeding in life. An learning centre able to support the giant effort made by this country in helping the generation ahead to gain a better future.
She started to share that dream with many others and now her individual dream has become a shared dream. Many others want to train orphans to be contented and productive members of society. They also wanted to raise these children with good values, so that they realize their full human dignity and become assets to their families and their communities.
The "she" became a "we": the solo became a choir, a team, an inspired group. After speaking to many people, she found a kind local family nearby Shanghai who generously donated their unused family land to the project!
The group is now moving forward with the construction of a center where children like J. J. can find a supportive and creative learning environment within which they can discover their potential. The project also involves education in being self-sustaining, partly by using some of the land for farming and producing organic vegetables. Several farmers have offered to help with this part of the project.
WILL Foundation set the first stone down where many will follow. It is a foundation for giving hope and a future for those "unseen" ones which we call orphans. I have seen potentials in J. J. that not many can see. If left alone, he will just become another "burden", but under WILL's wings, he will become and flourish into a man that matters. Our job is to provide them with the right everyday tools so they will possess the right character in making this world a sensible one, and to give them some of the same opportunities that our own kids have. It is because of these "not perfect" beings that we learn and become a better person. - Pilar Tan, Founder
