Report_2005

The thought of doing the site visit to get some closure on “Paily Project” kept lingering in my head and the time has finally come when I realized that I would have time to get away this spring. When the time got closer and more friends sponsored the project, I felt even more compelled to do the trip. This would be responsible way to thank my friends for donating those eight schools (it’s close to ten schools now). I started getting ready to set up a presentation and it happened to fall on January 29, Paily’s birthday. I wanted to let friends know more about the project and also to let them know about my intent to join the site visit team. The party turned out well and I got good support from friends. I made arrangements at work for the upcoming trip, got Hepatitis B vaccine, and finally got visa to China. Work was so stressful that I worked all the way until three hours before the flight took off. Despite the time pressure, I felt so good that I was going to finally make the trip.
However, China was still a foreign country and I was apprehensive about getting there alone. Luckily, I was able to go to China with WenRuh and Jane even if it means one day earlier than my original plan. I guess it’s worth my worry. The thought of seeing the completion of Paily schools and MANDRA Society schools excited me, yet the uncertainty about China and local government as well the public health situation also made me apprehensive.
I appreciate the opportunity to do this trip with a group of warm-hearted volunteers. Some of them only have two-week vacation in a year, yet they took three weeks off with one week leave w/o pay to make the trip. Despite all travel expenses can be tax write-off, it’s still quite a bit of money for volunteers. Aside from available vacation to use, money is an issue for some volunteers. However, I never heard any complain about the expense and time associated with the site-visit. No one felt it is personal sacrifice. I agreed with WenRuh that the site-visit can be the most important item of the EEP and would like to push for donation to sponsor volunteers making the trip!
The enthusiasm and commitment of volunteers touched me deeply. It is almost like those days in college when we were in Service Clubs going to rural villages. I felt instant and strong camaraderie with the other volunteers. People came from different places and many volunteers did not know each other until we had the briefing in the Hotel in Guiyang the night before we left for site-visit. Due to route changes, some volunteers were reassigned to a different team, I did not hear any complain about that neither.
Volunteers covered for each other and asked for the “hard jobs.” During day time, we spent time asking and checking details about schools and the life of the children so we can be the eyes and ears for the donors who can not be there in person. We tried to encourage students who receive sponsorship to work hard and to help others when they have resources in the future. By night we were usually exhausted, yet we insisted having debriefed meeting with each other to make sure what we document was as detailed and truthful as possible. We did not just represent ourselves; we were us plus the donors and sponsors of this project. We also wanted to make sure all the donated resources were put to best use. We also carried the good-will and blessings from the sponsors to the children and delivered hope, happiness and appreciation back to sponsors.
I had anticipated that I’d get emotional when I saw Paily and MANDRA schools. To my surprise, I felt a sense of accomplishment and relief much like inspecting other schools for school construction and scholarship distribution. What was also good was the hope, excitement and smile written all over children’s and many adults’ faces. It’s like magnet sucking my energy over and at the same time forcing me to smile from my heart. To know that some villages have been looking forward to a new school for 20-30 years, to know that many young children no longer have to walk for extensive time to get education really made this trip worthwhile.
I talked to a group of children who had to walk for more than 2 hours each way over five mountains to school. Tears almost busted out when they told me proudly that they came to school everyday. Can five hours of walking in the mountains guarantee their brighter future? I digressed. I touched their head with my hand and my heart. I wished them the best in pursuing their brighter future.
Interviewing students has been the most rewarding part of the task. I would usually lure them into big smile so I can bring their smiling face to their sponsors. Then I enjoyed talking to them about their life and answering questions about my life in the US. I could feel the eagerness and motivation on both sides to savor as much of the conversation and seize the moment as possible. Without exception, I was always reminded that we should get going for the next site before I said good bye. I had to remind them to take good care of the scholarship and keep working hard.
The most rewarding day of the trip was the last day when we were in Guizhou Technical University. Many of them were graduating from college and most of these graduates have found jobs. The excitement filled up the air in the room with their new beginning and hope in life. I sincerely wished them the best in their new chapter in life. I felt a sense of relief that our job in sponsoring their schooling has come to a good ending.
Many teachers got very low salary. They had to do side jobs such as farming to support them. When asked if they could find another job, one teacher replied, if I don’t do it, there will be no teachers in this rural village. Perhaps producing hope for youth does also bring hope to teachers.
The most important realization to me during this trip is the profound wisdom in simplicity. I realized that it did not take a lot to get us happy if we could appreciate what we have instead of looking at what we don’t have. Some volunteers brought candies for the children but ran out of candy before every child got some. I heard that some older child gave up her candy to volunteers so they can give it to younger ones, claiming “I am a big kid now, I don’t need candy.”
In another school I had the chance to interview a child with cataract and lost vision on his right eye. I asked if it was any inconvenient, he replied, “no, not at all, I am used to it, my left eye is still working and several of my family members have it.” I could not imagine what American children or even I would respond in these situations. I had the utmost respect for these young teachers. I feel they are richer than many of us from such a comfortable environment. It is my honor to run into them.
What has been challenging is the lack of patience for the time and resources it takes to help as much as possible. Hence, I/we can be critical of the process. What is also challenging is to help facilitate the collaboration of sponsors, Foundation, and local officials. Luckily, the debriefing meeting with veteran volunteers helped provide a more balanced perspective. The most difficult part is to realize that what we can do is quite limited and yet we have to continue try our best. This is a tricky balance to keep. We have to realize what is realistic and keep working to improve the situation….. I guess this is part of the spirit of EEP, to light a bit of hope.
I appreciate the chance for me to go through such a meaningful and educational journey. Thanks to my friends and my sponsors that we were able to light a bit more hope in rural China. Thanks to these great children and village people to appreciate the opportunity to create a brighter future. Thanks to local officers in making the route arrangement and making sure schools were ready to be inspected. Thanks to EEP volunteers and WenRuh for all your sacrifice as well as hard work in making all these possible. Farewell, kind children and adults until we meet again. May you be happy, healthy and take care of yourself. May you be at peace.