Zhu nin shu nian ji xiang! Wo men xiang nian ni men!!

(May your life be filled with joy and good luck
in the year of rat! We all miss you here!)

It doesn’t take a lot of money to serve,
It doesn’t take a college degree to serve,
It doesn’t take an army of men to serve,
It only takes a hear full of grace,
And a soul generated by love.
---by Martin Luther King

A lot of money may make a long string of number in the bank book; a college degree may bring a prestigious job; an army of men may contribute to an undergoing project. But what will shine a child’s face? What will light a child’s heart? What will help people in need by being their true friends? We all know the answer. It is a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love.

Only sincere love leaves an everlasting mark in the children’s hearts. I want to say THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all the volunteers who have shared their love with my country and my people.

XI’AN hosted Team 152, 154 and 155 in the past fall. The three teams worked respectively at Xi’an Biomedical Technical College, Xi’an Eurasia University, Xi’an Science and Technology University, Xi’an Rainbow School and Xi’an Xidian Experimental Elementary School. Most of schools reassigned the students to small groups of 15-20.

The volunteers enjoyed the cozy friendship they built up quickly with small groups. In three colleges, the volunteers worked with students in a big range of majors from English, tourism, computer science, accounting, internet business, nursing and machinery. The majority of them are from the countryside.

The current reform implemented by the China Central Education Bureau aims to accelerate the growth of the vocational schools and community colleges to balance the demands and supplies in the personnel market. As many university graduates have to face unemployment, more and more farmers choose a practical skill-oriented education for their children over a gold-trimmed diploma.

However, many students feel disappointed and deprived of the opportunity to be a higher-class citizen. Our volunteers lend a hand to this group of students, like a fresh stream of love, care, energy, hope, assuring them that they will have a bright future, even without the high degree. The patience, understanding and encouragement from the volunteers are treasured the most by these farmers’ children. A good mastery of English will also improve their opportunities to get a good job. As their interest in English booms, they gain self-confidence and self-esteem. Their shining smiles are worth all the efforts the volunteers have made.  

For the next few years, we will keep growing our partnership with vocational schools and colleges. We hope to provide more help to this group in need.

LA LA SHOU: This project not only put our volunteers hand in hand with the children, local teachers and parents, but also connect the volunteers’ hearts with theirs. The first five volunteers served at La La Shou Special Education Center in the past fall. Each of them was assigned to work with their own child for the whole program, who at the end became their own child. Five children, Du Jialin (7 years old), An Jiayin (4 years old), Zhucao (11 years old), Cao Jiachen (7 years old) and Yao Duoduo (4 years old) developed their true love for these auntie, uncle, granny and grandpa from another country.

The volunteers helped them though various things including physical therapy, drawing, playing musical instruments and studying at various levels. Like a parent, the volunteers smile when the child smiles, the volunteers have tears in eyes when the child cries.  

I sincerely hope that we will have more volunteers to help at La La Shou. Please come to shed your love on these children. La La Shou needs the volunteers who are willing to offer extra hands, who are physical therapists, speech therapist, special educators, who are preschool educators and who have a talent in drawing or music. To know more about La La Shou, click on http://www.globalvolunteers.org/china/china_lalashou.asp. Please join us to love and care for the special needs children.  

AN SHANG Village: : (By Wang Baoli) This village continues to be welcoming to volunteers as well as being progressive with their democratic approach in planning their future. Team 151 and 153, 14 volunteers, served in Anshang last fall and taught a total number of about 150 students. The volunteers made numerous friends in the village and among the students. They learned much about Chinese culture and especially about rural life in China from many unique experiences.

Our host took the volunteers on a village tour which included the different neighborhood and a chicken farm where the farmer answered all the questions. They also watched the building of a tomb and attended a funeral and learned about the local burial traditions. They were invited to visit and talk to the students in a couple of schools nearby. “Thank you very much for teaching us. We hope you will come back again,” were the most frequently heard words wherever the volunteers went.

Two exciting things also happened in the village in the second half of 2007. “A library that previously had no books and a computer lab with no computers” have become part of the history of the new Anshang School, thanks to donations from Global Volunteers. We owe many thanks to the volunteers who have donated all the books, and a special thanks to Anne Weissman, a
volunteer on Team 153 who is a retired librarian!

In her free time, Anne categorized and labeled all the books with her team members. Now the Anshang School Library has an impressive collection of 500 English books that are neatly set up in two large bookshelves! The teachers and children in the school are so excited by the idea that they will soon be able to borrow books from the small library.

In addition, the computer room is now equipped with up-to-date computers. We are so excited to report that Best Buy generously donated 100 computers and computer equipment to Global Volunteers for the the An Shang Program! “This is overwhelming! It will change the future and lives of hundreds of students in the rural village”, our host, Mr. An Wei said with gratitude.

For news of Kunming and Hainan programs, please watch for our upcoming summer newsletter where I will update you on all the new and exciting things happening in those areas.

Again, my words of appreciation can not express even one tenth of the gratitude from the local people. Baoli and I are sending the best wishes to you and your loved ones. You are remembered and appreciated in this big country on the other side of the globe.

Wo men xiang nin! Yi ding yao hui lai! (You are missed here! Please come back!)

Warmest Regards,
Hu Di

Global Volunteers' China Country Manager