[Singapore] Zhang Suyi, Suzie, Tsinghua University
Every great cause requires heartfelt devotion to gain sincere returns. When you devote your valuable time, knowledge and focus to your truly beloved cause, beautiful things will always happen.
Volunteering service is a great cause, beyond material interest and nationality difference. It binds us closely with a spiritual tie. It not only pushes our social society to progress, but also promotes our personal development. Meanwhile it also arouses our inborn aspirations to serve other people.
When I was pursuing my graduate study in Tsinghua University, I participated in a teaching program for schools for migrant workers’ children, sponsored by the Youth League of the School of Economics and Management, School of Social Science and Department of Electronic Engineering.
We went to the suburb by bus where I saw houses made by metals and crowded simple shanty town areas.The facilities there shocked me, which made me feel aching and sad.
Every Thursday afternoon, the volunteers of the teaching program went to those schools to teach the children there, including math, drawing, literature, music and handcraft etc. Two of my classmates and I were responsible for teaching English for Grade 6.
Despite all the difficulties and hardship, the children had gone through, and the passion they showed to their life and friends greatly impressed me. The children I taught opened their hearts and arms to me and I experienced their enthusiasm and vitality.
Their smiles, curiosity and fire-like enthusiasm equipped me with more determination in my dreams and more enthusiasm for life. Every Thursday afternoon, we brought joy and knowledge to these children, opened their eyes to a greater and better world and helped them experience a more colorful life and more happiness.
To me the volunteer teaching experience was very valuable and meaningful. What we were doing was contributing to the efforts to achieve educational resources equality for children of migrant workers. We were
showing our care to the next generation and improving their confidence in acquiring knowledge and in efficient learning. I also learn from the children their optimistic and active attitude toward life during my teaching.
Their resilience, hard-working spirits and confidence in creating a better life for their families and themselves motivate me in bringing more values to human society . After the teaching program, with more enthusiasm toward life and beautiful wishes from the children, I decided to devote more to volunteering services.
My study in China had to come to a stop due to the pandemic. However, the volunteer service there is so unforgettable that it will stay with me in my whole life. Teaching the children of migrant workers made me understand their education conditions. Indeed, they did not have sufficient education resources and their environment was shabby.
However, their enthusiasm toward knowledge was high. Wish I could have an opportunity in the future to visit them again. Meanwhile, I wish they could walk out of their shabby environment and had their own incredible life.
I believe that every volunteer can see their contributions in education through their experience of volunteer teaching. We have different experiences and our own way of contributing to the society. However, if we converge our wisdom, we can jointly promote the great education cause.
A youth that pursues no fame or money, but devotes the wisdom and vitality to children’s education is the most valuable and meaningful one. A youth that teaches children how to study and how to love study is the most encouraging one.
My experience of teaching the children in Wenhua Migrants’ Children School enables me to look forward to my future with more confidence and to end my study in China with a perfect full stop.
The story is from "My Beautiful Encounter with China" Essay Competition organized by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchanges (CSCSE).
