Erik Nilsson
2005-07-05 06:22
http://www2.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-07/05/content_457085.htm
They laid siege to the library, screaming and pounding on the door. When Danny Tang opened it, they grabbed her and dragged her away, giving no heed to her cries of protest.
Overwhelmed, she gave in to the mob. Laughing as loudly as anyone, she played along.
This group of schoolgirls at Damacheng Primary School in Caohai Town, Guizhou Province, made Tang realize her volunteer work in rural areas with the Dream Corps for Harmonious Development International went beyond helping set up a library.
"That made me think, 'What do these kids want, and how are we actually influencing them just by playing with them?'" Tang said.
Tang was one of 36 volunteers, mostly Chinese-born students from the United States, sent by Dream Corps to work on development projects in rural areas. For three weeks in June, volunteers helped out at research and assistance programmes in Hunan, Yunnan, Henan, Gansu, Guizhou and Jiangxi provinces, and Beijing.
Volunteers help build libraries and show schools how to operate them, provide a Seedling Fund scholarship for at-risk students, and teach English and computer skills.
Dream Corps is the brainchild of a group of Chinese students at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, who decided to turn their discussions into action. Last year they registered as a non-profit organization and dispatched their first group of volunteers.
Harold Chen's return to Lingfang Elementary School in Chaling County, Hunan, was a continuation of last year's library project.
Like Tang, he believes that "the power of engagement" is an important part of such programmes, often overlooked in the quest for material improvement.
"The engagement with the kids is almost inexpressible; it's hard to put into words, to categorize or conceptualize," Chen said. "I impacted them through talking, playing and just simply by being on campus."
Tiffany Grell, who worked at Nanmazhuang Elementary School, in Lankao County, Henan Province, said that while her team tried to build the library and teach English, art and music, they tried above all to foster an interest in learning.
"I think we inspired some future artists and singers," said Grell's teammate, Yang Yang. "At least we inspired them to follow their dreams."
But the team understand these children have seemingly insurmountable challenges to overcome.
The school building is falling apart. Rotting wooden support beams brace crumbling brick walls, and the structure looks like it could cave in at any moment.
The school closes when it rains for fear of collapse. But as there's no electricity it is too dark to study on an overcast day, anyway.
The tiny, cramped toilets are far from ideal. Students must bring their own desks or go without.
Volunteers also witnessed the difficulties students face outside school when they paid visits to at-risk students' homes to select candidates for the Seedling Fund scholarship.
Grell and Yang said they will never forget meeting a boy who was granted a full-semester scholarship. The boy had been taken in by his uncle after his father died and his mother abandoned him.
Since the uncle is mentally and physically disabled, he cannot cultivate enough land to make a proper living.
The boy's energy is really needed on the farm and school is beyond the family's means, but it was his father's last wish that he be educated.
"He's very busy at school. He spends every minute working and never gets to play," Grell said.
She said the boy was shy, polite and at the top of his class, but at risk of dropping out. The scholarship should keep him in school for at least one more semester.
Volunteers such as Tang understand the value of scholarships for children in rural areas. Tang grew up in rural Shaodong, Hunan Province. A scholarship from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania changed her life.
While the volunteers brightened the outlook of many of their students at least in the short term, the students themselves had a profound impact on many volunteers' long-term plans.
Grell decided to pursue a career with a non-governmental organization. Yang plans to start a chapter of Dream Corps at Princeton University. See Guat Tham graduated from the National University of Singapore this semester with a degree in engineering.
His experience in Jiangxi has made him reconsider his career, and he is now seeking a job that helps people.
Chen plans to return next year. "I think they affected me just as much as I affected them," he said. "There's so much to learn."
(China Daily 07/05/2005 page14)
No comments:
Post a Comment