In March 2001, French journalist Pierre Haski was filming a documentary about Chinese Muslims in Zhangjiakou (张家树), a remote rural village in Ningxia.

During his stay in the modest home of the village imam, Haski observed the challenging living conditions faced by the community, including poverty and limited access to basic necessities such as drinking water and education.

[1] As the team was preparing to leave, Ma Yan's mother handed them her 13-year-old daughter's handwritten diaries, pleading for their help.

In Shanghai, Haski and his team reviewed the diaries and were deeply moved by Ma Yan’s heartfelt writings.

In her entries, Ma Yan detailed her struggles and her strong desire to continue her education despite her family's severe financial difficulties.