Report_2003

車子順山而行，不多時我們來到大河的渡口，原來我們還需溯江而上，才能到達賢表小學。蔚藍的天空無雲，偶而一兩隻水牛，閒懶得淌在碧綠的河水中。我仿彿走入武陵人的桃花源裡，忍不住欣羨這種如詩如畫的山居歲月。這時， 邵主席開始細述著唐老師的故事…
After a long car ride, we finally arrived at the mouth of a lake. We needed to cross the lake in order to get to Xian Biao Elementary School. It was a clear day with mild wind. The plain was deserted except for a few water buffalos lazing by the lake. I walked around breathing in the fresh air and taking in the beautiful scene. I was enjoying this wonderland when the leader of our group started telling us about Instructor Tang…

賢表小學的學生們就住在河床兩岸的苗寨裡。每天早上唐老師搖著自造的舢板船, 沿河接送孩子上學；下午再送孩子回家。 二十多年如一日。船壞了就修補，不能修就造新船，二十多年來，他自費造了十一條船。以苗鄉老師微薄的收入，一千多人民幣的船實在是筆龐大的開支。但是唐老師無怨無悔，他不只為孩子求學之路擺渡、造船，還資助貧困學生的學費。多年來，唐老師共付出一萬多人民幣的助學金。受他資助的孩子如今已經有人上醫學院了！他驕傲的說：「我苗家寨裡沒有一個失學生！」
Xian Biao students live across the lake. Everyday Instructor Tang takes his students on his self-constructed boat (wooden plank) to school and in the afternoons, he brings them back home. For 20 years, he has consistently followed the same routine, mending the boat, when it collapses, building new boats when needed. In the last 20 years, he has built 11 boats. In Miao County, with wages as small as 1000 RMB a year, boats are a luxury. Nevertheless, Mr. Tang does not care. Not only does he take the students to and from school but he also lends money to students who are too poor to pay for their own tuition. Over the years, he has spent about 10,000 RMB out of his own pockets for the sake of education. Of the kids he has helped, one is enrolled in medical school already! He proudly says that not one student is left behind in his county.
當舊校舍不堪使用，他拿自己的房子去抵押，借款修建教室。當老朽的建築變成危房，他又把學生帶回家上課。為了苗村孩童的教育， 唐老師盡其所能，傾其所有，只因為一個信念 「知識是帶領孩子走出大山的唯一憑藉。然而，為了給山裡孩子更好的教育，他讓自己師範畢業，已經走出大山的女兒，重回到這個小山寨，繼續他的志業。
When the school was wrecked and in a too poor of a condition to be used for teaching, Mr. Tang mortgaged his own home to fund the construction of a new school building. While they were building the school, he offered his home as a place to teach. He has done everything in his power to make sure the children of Miao County receive a proper education. He believes that education is the key for these kids to leave the isolated mountain region. In efforts to maintain the quality of educators, he even asked his own daughter to come back to this backwards region to teach.

當斐玫聽到唐老師的故事時，唐老師已經陷入窘迫的財務危機了…五千多元的房貸，只還了五百元；老舊的舢板，已經不能再修了；而孩童的課業，一天也不能耽誤…
斐玫的及時捐款，不僅為唐老師解危，更引起地方電視臺的注意，當地記者深入山區，把苗寨的貧困和唐老師的無私大愛，呈現在城裡的觀眾面前，捐款物資從各地湧入。我們驗收新校時，搭乘的正是縣政府為學生們準備的新船，遠自浙江省捐贈的視聽器材，端正地擺在賢表小學的新教室裡。燃燈猶如一個引子，不僅提供唐老師的孩子們一個舒適寬敞的讀書環境；它更喚醒許多生活優裕的城裡人， 正視呎咫天涯外「少數民族失學」的問題。
When Fei-Mei heard Mr. Tang’s story, Mr. Tang was already bankrupt. Only 500 RMB was paid out of the 5000 RMB mortgage. The sampan was unfixable. Yet getting the children to school was still his number one priority. Fei-Mei’s timely donation not only helped him out of debt but it also got the attention of local television stations. China’s major TV stations went into the secluded region and brought Mr. Tang’s story to the city audiences. Donations came from all over the country. When we arrived for the inspection, the boat we took was a brand new one built by the provincial government. At the school, audio/video equipment provided by Zhejiang’s city council was proudly displayed in the classrooms. The EEP not only provided a spacious ground for learning but also took a step in advancing the social class of Chinese minorities.
唐老師親自擺渡送我們回程。在這條生命的河上，我也有幸變成他的學生， 讓他渡我到彼岸。
願自此後，我把往昔的好大喜功，留給身後的悠悠流水。
願我的燃燈的路上，點亮被遺忘的角落！
願我的燃燈的路上，找尋等待幫助的唐老師…
Mr. Tang personally walked us back into town. During the boat trip, I too became his student. After the boat ride, I vowed to give up my materialistic thinking, washing it away into the river.

May we light more candles in the obscure corners of China.
May I find others like Mr. Tang.

*** 這些孩子是支持我走下去的力量 ***
These children are my strength to walk farther

長年在電腦機前工作，有未老先衰的肩背，加上伴隨著更年期出現的疑難雜症，造就我四體不勤的藉口。於是，當我決定隨燃燈志工去驗收學校時，四周親友都很懷疑：「你撐得下去嗎？」路程遠比我想像中艱難，自己的體力也比原先估計的差，但是我過幾天又要再度出發，只為了思念那些山裡的孩子。
After staring at a computer for most of my days at work, in addition to chronic back pains, and other miscellaneous health conditions associated with middle age, I became lazy and inactive. When I decided to go on an inspection trip for The Enlightening Education Program, my friends and family were skeptical that I would last such a strenuous journey. The road was harder than I expected and I am weaker than I thought. But in a few days I will be off to China again for another inspection. The expressions of the children I meet drive me.
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赤足天使 Barefoot Angel

大雨把鄉間小道折騰的寸步難行，我們穿著雨鞋涉著深過足踝的泥漿，一身狼狽地走進明理小學。孩子們早已列隊站在校門口等候多時。我發現竟然有近四分之一的小朋友們，光著腳站在泥漿裡。我心疼地催他們進教室。一個小女孩拉拉我的衣襬，她從書包裡拿出一雙鞋：「阿姨，我有鞋！」「我也有！」旁邊的小男生也搶著說。我當場愣住了！對這些孩子來說，擁有一雙鞋的意義，遠超出鞋子保護雙腳的功能。他們寧可赤腳走幾里泥漿路上學，也捨不得弄髒他們的鞋子。

2002年刊封面內頁的赤足小女孩，就是明理的小學生。然而她不僅沒有鞋，也沒有位子坐著上課。她和其他幾位繳不出學費的小孩，就是這麼站著上學！儘管學校答應我們，立刻為他們準備桌椅，我總是忘不了那個赤著腳，站著寫字的小身影。我更無法釋懷的是：她們將如何看待這個忍心讓她們站著上課的大人世界！

如果我們用金錢物資來衡量孩子的地位，我們如何期待在現實勢利的環境裡長大的孩子，不以自私功利回餽社會?

It was raining and we were walking on small, dangerous mountain paths. We all wore our raincoats and shoes coated with Gore-Tex. Eventually we reached Min Li Elementary School. The children were already standing at the gate waiting for us. I noticed that there were 25% of them standing barefoot in the mud. I was heartbroken and told them to go in. A girl nudged me and informed me that she did in fact have shoes. The little boy next her said he did as well. I was shocked. For these children, shoes are such a luxury. They did not comprehend that the purpose of shoes was for the protection of feet. They would rather walk barefoot in the mud than get their shoes dirty.

In the 2002 annual report, the inside cover shows a girl from Min Li Elementary School. Not only did she not have shoes, she did not have a place to sit in the classroom. She and some other kids who could not afford tuition would stand while learning. Although the school promised us that they would receive chairs and desks immediately, I cannot forget the image of her standing barefoot. I wonder how they view the adult world that makes them stand while they learn. If we use money and materialism to judge the status of children, then how do we account for rich city children who lack the strength and dignity to better society?

找尋趙君鵬 ----Searching for Zhao Jun Pang

驗收圓修三小時，曹主任特別安排幾位貧困生接受我的訊問筆錄，期待得到燃燈的資助。被問的小孩多半害羞木訥，支支吾吾說不出話來。旁邊一個小男孩乾脆幫我解說這些小朋友的狀況：「他是左彪，有肝病… 她是趙婷，三年級第一名…」口齒清晰，對答如流！「你自己呢？」「我叫趙君鵬，七歲半，我不需要幫助！」

旁邊的大人一面取笑他，一面告訴我：趙君鵬的父母分別外出打工，就再也沒有回來了，君鵬和四歲的妹妹由奶奶照顧，生活非常艱苦… 七歲的小男孩，任由大人們議論著他的家務事，臉上沒有一絲自憐自傷，甚至沒有一絲怨懟，就這麼靜靜地看著我。如果不是他攬緊妹妹的手，惹起妹妹的抗議，我會以為這是編出來的故事。小小年紀就有如此大將之風，如果給他一個完善的教育，他的未來可以璀燦耀眼，他的世界可以海闊天空！若是現在奪走他上學的機會，長大後他又是怎樣的趙君鵬？

行走在燃燈的路上，碰到許許多多在貧困輟學邊緣掙扎的孩童，好多都是父母外出打工，失去音訊，把稚兒留給年邁的爺爺奶奶，孩子受教育的機會就像風中殘燭。他們的人生還沒有完全開始，求學之道卻隨時可能終結。每個人的童真都是一張無瑕的白紙，然而命運的筆，卻任意塗抹他們的未來，這是多麼不公平的世界！

願我的燃燈的路上，找尋趙君鵬，給他一個比命運公平的機會。願我的燃燈的路上，有您同行，一起找尋唐老師和趙君鵬！

After inspecting the school accounts and structure for 3 hours, the principal let me interview the students that received assistance from EEP. The kids were shy and often stuttered while answering my questions. One of the boys offered to explain the situations of the other children. “He is Tobin, he has liver problems. His name is Ah Jie; he was number one in our class”. This boy’s speech was perfect and he was quite the talker. “What about you?” I asked. He replied, “My name is Zhao Jun Pang. I am seven and a half years old. I don’t need financial assistance”. The adults standing by laughed when they heard this. They explained that Zhao Jun Pang’s parents left the village in search of work and never came back. Jun Pang and his four-year-old sister were being taken care of by his sick grandmother. He lived a hard life.

The seven-year-old boy had no expression on his face as the adults told his story. He stared at me vacantly. If I had not seen him grab his sister’s hand, I would have thought the adults had made up the story. Being so smart and talkative at such a young age, given the proper schooling, he could go far in this world. If we took away his chance of having a bright future now, what will become of him?

During my road trips with the EEP, I have run into so many children born into poverty. Many of their parents left in search of jobs and leave them with their grandparents. This decreases their chance of an education. Their life has not even started yet their opportunities are already limited. Everyone starts with a clean slate but these children start with a black mark across their board.
“May the Enlightening Education Program road allow me to find others like Zhao Jun Pang and give them a chance at life”
“May my Enlightening Education Program road have companions so we can search for Zhao Jun Pang and Mr. Tang together”

後記：
北加州的燃燈青年團自去年成立後，不但在六所高中成立SCHOOL CLUBS。青年團合力蓋一所「月亮小學」，最近可以驗收。他們到ORACLE演說募款，得到ORACLE員工的捐款，足夠蓋四所小學。他們的善行在灣區引起很大的迴響，許多青年團契也加入我們的陣容，他們省下零用錢來資助地球另一端的高中生，寫信鼓勵對方不要放棄希望，他們的父母更細心的為他們翻譯中文。今年灣區「九個果子學習中心」的一群小學生，也要追隨大哥哥大姐姐的腳步，省下零用錢在貴州丹寨蓋一所「果子小學」。

最近紐約和華府也成立燃燈青年團，經由學校社區活動，把燃燈的訊息傳給年輕的一代。如果您家中有青少年，不妨鼓勵他加入燃燈的義工團隊。孩子們從別人的不幸遭遇，學習珍惜自身的福氣，當他們發現自己可幫助別人時，那種自信和成就感是無價的成果。

Bringing the Message to a Younger Generation

The North California Enlightening Education Program Youth Group was established last year by six high school clubs. They collectively built the Moon school in Guizhou Province, China. The youth group garnered the corporate support of Oracle Systems and collected enough to build four additional schools. They have caused a good amount of attention among their peers and we have had an increase in youth commitment. These young adults have offered allowances and written letters of encouragement to their counterparts in China. This year, Kwok Zhi Learning Center in the Bay area have followed suit and built a school in China with the same name.

Recently, NYC and Washington DC have established their own youth groups, spreading the message of the Enlightening Education Program to a new generation. If you have a teenager, why not encourage them to participate. Young adults can learn from their unfortunate peers and they can feel a sense of satisfaction from being able to help.