Happy New Year From Sichuan!
On behalf of Fen Fang Charity, I travelled to our Spring Bud Primary School near Chengdu in Sichuan Province on 22nd of December. I got the warmest welcome upon my arrival. The pupils and teachers were very kind to me and I enjoyed talking with them. I spoke in front of all five classes and handed them our Christmas gifts with our best wishes. For our well-behaved children I brought two laptops, Angry Birds toys and Christmas hats. Especially, the toys were greatly received!
Currently, the primary school has 161 pupils and 11 staff members. In addition to seven classrooms the children have a library, a science lab and a large playground with a basketball court and ping-pong tables at their disposal. Furthermore, the school is setting up a computer class with 40 computers provided by the Department of Education of China. However, the school is facing the challenge of finding a competent computer science teacher for the pupils. Furthermore, the school is missing the sixth grade due to difficulties to find a teacher for English classes in the village. The insufficient number of staff members hinders the school from making the most out of its facilities.
In spite of the difficulties, both the school staff and the children seemed to be genuinely enjoying the learning process. In fact, I was deeply impressed by the pupils’ motivation to learn. I could see the enthusiasm and passion in their eyes. I was also very touched by the positive attitude toward life in the schools. The beautiful smiles and pure joy of the children were unforgettable.
My visit to Dujiangyan China Overseas Holdings Xinjiang Special Education School on 23rd of December was delightful as well. The school is equipped with high quality education facilities, such as a dormitory building, an administration building, a canteen as well as an education building with therapy rooms. There is also a large playing field with a small garden plot. I found the nearly 30 000 m2 sized campus area very peaceful and beautiful.
The special education school was built for seven to eighteen years old children with hearing and intellectual disability. Currently, the school doesn't have a budget for special school projects or teacher training. Here is the area where we shall come in to help. We are planning to sponsor a science project in this spring. Through the involvement in special projects the children will get inspired and motivated and they can find joy and confidence during the process. In such a way, we are not only providing them with an opportunity to have classrooms and materials, we are also giving them hope and courage to dream.
There is a popular saying in China, ’do not visit Sichuan when you are young’, which is based on the idea that once you visit the ‘Heavenly Kingdom’ you will never want to leave. This was quite true for me. I hope to see the schools again and witness their progress!
Text and images by Bo Qin