Disabled brothers disappointed by empty promises, still dream of a well

Two disabled brothers in China have attracted attention and support for their 14-year effort to plant more than 10,000 trees in a 3-hectare stretch of riverbank in their village. However, many pledges to help the brothers have gone unrealized. Now their greatest wish is for somebody to help them drill a well.

In 2001, unable to secure work elsewhere, the brothers, from China's northern Hebei province, leased a large stretch of riverbank from the local government in a bid to plant trees, hoping to earn a modest income from government funding while at the same time contributing to environmental protection.

Jia Haixia, who is blind, and Jia Wenqi, a double amputee, overcame their disabilities by becoming each other's eyes and hands. Together, they have planted more than 10,000 trees.

Their moving story has attracted global attention in recent years, drowning out the ridicule and skepticism from their fellow villagers, as well as their own doubts.

Many warm-hearted people pledged help to the proud pair after they received media coverage. From free well-drilling to donated saplings to free eye treatment, the outpouring was impressive. But many of those pledges never came through.

After finishing the 3-hectare stretch of riverbank, the brothers were about to plant on a slope. However, they found there is no water source in the area. They have to walk two kilometers if they were to carry water from downhill. Since then, all they could think about is to dig a well on the slope someday.

The brothers have been longing for the well for several years now. In 2015, a man from a Shijiazhuang-based drilling company promised to help them, but since the cost was higher than he expected, the plan was delayed indefinitely.

Beyond causing the brother’ own disappointment, those empty promises also provoked rumors and gossip from villagers who said that they couldn’t make it after all.

According to Jia Haixia, the gossip really gets to them. His hot-tempered wife has even blamed him for the situation.

Though no one has helped them to drill their well or develop new slopes for planting trees so far, the brothers say they will continue with their project. 

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Blind man and his sidekick with no arms have planted 10,000 trees in rural China in 10 years 

Blind Jia Haixa and double amputee Jia Wenqi have planted 10,000 trees together to improve the local environment and help with flood prevention.