Bethel China Founder Talks Ten Years Helping Orphans

For a decade Guillaume Gauvain has been working with disabled orphans in Beijing. Originally from France, he is the founder of Bethel China, which has helped countless disadvantaged children in China live more fulfilling lives. Bethel is celebrating their 10th anniversary this month and Gauvain was kind enough to answer a few questions, all while helping with Typhoon Haiyan relief in the Philippines at a therapy center on Cebu he is establishing there.

Blind Chinese orphans. That’s a scary issue to tackle. What was the spark, the one moment were you said to yourself, “Right, I’m going do this?”
When I got home with David, my adoptive son, I was overwhelmed with the feeling of how big of a difference it was to bring an orphan into a family. That was the spark that led to Bethel. For blind orphans specifically, we found that even though blindness is not a mental illness, they were treated as such with little hope of moving forward, so we decided to do something about it.

How did you feel/react the first time you met these disabled children over here?
I still remember coming back from the orphanage with the first three blind children in my van and looking at them and thinking, "what am I doing?"

RELATED: Bethel China Foundation for the Blind

What was the first thing you had to learn when working with these kids? Determination, not so much because of the kids, but just to overcome each challenge such as, "Are you crazy? It can't be done; you think too big, no money, no government framework or legal framework, human resource issues, everything."

What is the first thing you try to teach Bethel’s children?
The first thing we teach is, "You are beautiful, and you’re worth it."

What kind of environment are you hoping to create? How will this help them?
An environment where everyone can learn and grow, no matter the speed. This will help them towards some degree of independence according to each child's capacity.

Can you describe a day at Bethel’s homes?
Yes, it's like any other child. Wake up, clean up, breakfast, go to school, lunch, school, fun outside, dinner, play, then shower and bedtime.

In ten years how many children has Bethel worked with and where did your organization take them developmentally?
I believe over 140 in full-time care and education plus thousands reached through our training program. Each kid has their own individual education plan. They range from blind and very high functioning (who will be independent in society), to having other needs such as autism.

Where do you hope these kids will end up? What kind of future is there for them? Well, like any parent you want to kids to be the best they can be and achieve independence. But above all, I want them to feel good about themselves and have a fighting spirit since society will not make it easy on them.

How did your nickname Faguo Baba, or “Father France,” start?
The kids starting to call us like this, and we like it because it’s a little different from just "Papa and Mama.” They might get adopted later so we didn't want to take that place in their hearts.

What are some of the differences between helping orphans in China and your previous job helping drug addicts in Canada?
Not that different. In the end, you just come alongside someone for a little while on their journey and try to show them that they have what it takes, that they are important and loved, so they can get on with their life and find fulfillment.

What were the main steps to get things started here? Any bureaucratic or official hurdles?  
In the beginning, there were no steps [no roadmap].  For foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs), everything is in the gray, no matter how many new so-called laws and regulations there are, in the end there is no clear way to independently register a foreign NGO in China. So yes it created a lot of challenges when the organization began to grow, such as not being able to have a professional bank account, for example.

What were Bethels biggest milestones over the past 10 years?
Opening our own school and moving to "our own" piece of land to design it the way we wanted.   

Right now you’re helping to deal with the recent disaster in the Philippines. How would Bethel China react in that type of situation?
Like everything we do: We would think "children first.” Our staff is amazing and I know they would protect the children.

RELATED: Beijing Samaritan on the Ground to Aid Typhoon Haiyan Victims

Celebrate with Bethel and their kids Dec 14 at the Regent Beijing and follow their website and facebook for more on their activities

A version of this article appears in the December 2013 issue of the Beijinger

Email: nickrichards@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Courtesy of Bethel China