In 2005, I visited a children’s home run by the Philip Hayden Foundation in Langfang, China. Most of the children in the home have a physical disability or a serious medical condition which led to their abandonment.
According to their current website:
“Shepherd’s Field Children’s Village is a foster home in Tianjin, China. Shepherd’s Field is a safe haven for at-risk, special-needs orphans who have been abandoned because they were considered broken. We love, house and feed these children in addition to providing surgeries and medical care. We seek compassionate families to give them loving, permanent homes through adoption. We welcome any children the government orphanages send to us, and strive to transform hopeless lives into beautiful stories of redemption and love.”
During my visit, I was graciously given the permission to photograph the children and their caregivers. The environment was peaceful and loving. Having 2 children of my own now, I do feel that the children were given the best possible care and love that was available to them. If you would like to find out more about their work or want to get involved, please visit their website at Shepherd’s Field Children’s Village.
The following is a selection of photographs that I captured during my visit there. These photographs are all in black and white as I was still using my film Leica M6TTL with B&W film then.
