A Journey of 9000 millimetres

This series first arose in China as a response to the lockdown from the Covid-19 pandemic. It stands as a reminder that all of humanity has similar problems and can come up with solutions based on common values and goals – how to survive in times of great suffering and how to protect and look after one another. A pandemic affects us all. Children can find “fight the virus” stories all around them. When they learn to identify danger and face challenges with courage, they grow. Our children will come through this storm, they will feel our love, and will look forward to the future. For many children this has been a difficult time, their lives confined to a small space, walls, a table, a coffee table, a sofa, and toys they’re tired of playing with. Worse still, they’ve been separated from friends and family members who they’ve missed and worried about. But, it’s human nature to search for light and laughter in the cracks of darkness. Hard times and cramped conditions cannot stop a child’s imagination and force of life. And this winter’s virulent disease cannot stop us looking forward to a better time. – Zhang Xiaoling