"The candle of burning dreams warms the cool mountains everywhere."
——Record of the Statistical and Management College’s Summer “Three Going to the Countryside” Liangshan Teaching Support Activity
From July 7 to July 17, 2017, the "Warmth of Liangshan" volunteer teaching team formed by the School of Statistics and Management at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics conducted an eleven-day "Caring for Girls" themed teaching activity at Lanba Primary School in Yuehua Township, Xide County, Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province.
The Liangshan Volunteer Teaching Team was established in April 2017, composed of 15 students: Huang Bin, Zhang Xiaoyu, Peng Wei, Yang Jingyi, Li Zhaoyan, Liu Dingyuan, Yang Xugang, Fan Jinglan, Luo Yuanyuan, Liu Sa, Mou Ziyuan, Chen Xinyi, Li Wenqi, Meng Yixie, and Zhu Zhengyao. The purpose of the team is to realize the dream of public welfare by contributing their modest efforts to local education through teaching in remote mountainous areas. The team's mission and philosophy focus on the local development and understanding of its comprehensive conditions to promote urban-rural exchange, while guiding local children’s thoughts with the correct life values of college students and helping them broaden their horizons and improve their learning abilities.
Lanba Primary School is located in the Daliang Mountain area, where transportation is extremely isolated. Villagers must accumulate supplies over a long period before they can go out of the mountain to handle affairs. Most young and middle-aged adults in the area work in other provinces, and many of the children come from single-parent families or are left-behind children.
After a three-day and two-night long journey, the teaching support team arrived at Lanba Primary School on the evening of July 6. This is the third time that the teaching support team from the School of Statistics and Management has come here. The classroom is still the same old adobe building as before, with only a few iron frames for windows and no glass. The iron door is covered in rust and creaks when opened and closed... The difference is that the love cafeteria is currently under construction for the third floor.
From determining the courses to nearly half a month of lesson preparation and trial teaching, the volunteers meticulously prepared 13 subjects: English, Reading, Morning Reading, Moral Education, Natural Science, Geography, History, Health Care, Art, Crafts, Music, Physical Education, and Sharing.
The rhythmic sounds of reading during morning study, carrying the tone of the Yi language, are tender yet loud; the paintings and origami cranes created in art and craft classes are eventually filled with gratitude and blessings, secretly slipped into the volunteers' pockets; in natural science class, the volunteers use truth as a mirror to guide the children to see the world through scientific eyes; in reading class, the volunteers foster friendships through literature, teaching the children to appreciate classical literature; songs and laughter waft through the music classroom; sweat droplets fall on the playground during physical education class
In order for children to grow up healthy, volunteers teach them various self-defense techniques and first aid methods in health care classes. In addition, the volunteers also organized a fun sports day, using this opportunity to help children understand the power of unity and perseverance.
The theme of this teaching support is "Caring for Girls." The volunteers specially organized activities such as Girls' Day, a drama performance, and lectures, hoping to impart a concept to local children: boys should learn to care for and look after girls, and girls should learn to better protect themselves.
To ensure safety, every day after school, volunteers split into several teams to navigate the long mountain roads, safely escorting each child home. Along the way, there are not only the beautiful landscapes of Liangshan but also the laughter and joy of the children. The children enthusiastically teach the volunteers to speak Yi language and chat about their families. Usually, their parents are busy making a living, and these children rarely open up to others; the arrival of the volunteers brings them enjoyment in life and psychological relaxation.
Every day, volunteers select several children for research and home visits. "The house is bare," this is the first thought everyone has upon entering most children’s homes. There is hardly any furniture, the walls are gray and bare concrete, and some homes even have old tile roofs. The children have to get up early every day to pick mushrooms to earn money, and at night, they have to help with cooking and feeding livestock. However, what is impressive is that when volunteers ask, "Are you satisfied with your current life?" most parents look at their children with eager anticipation and affirmatively say, "Yes!" During the research, parents expressed that they would not easily let their children drop out of school; no matter how tough it gets, they will support their children in completing their education.
"Although life is difficult, it is still full of hope, this beauty is any ray of sunlight we have seen on Mount Liangshan."
On the 16th, less than two days before the end of the teaching support program, the volunteers distributed gifts such as stationery, books, and educational toys that they had worked hard to raise funds for. A third-grade boy suddenly hugged a volunteer and said, "Brother, sister, don't give out things anymore; if you give them out, you will leave, and I don’t want you to go!" A wave of emotion and reluctance instantly filled everyone’s hearts.
"We miss everyone who came here to teach."
“Brother and sister, a la hei wu (I love you).”
The short time spent in teaching has allowed volunteers and children to establish deep friendships. "Their happiness does not come from having more, but from being less calculative. The sincerity and passion of the young people in Liangshan have taught us so much. I still remember the seriousness of the children when they wrote their wishes and put them in the 'time capsule' during Girls' Day, hoping that they can move forward bravely, unafraid of the future. For the sake of dreams, what is there to fear in the distance? This is true for the children of Liangshan, and it is the same for us too."
The night sky of Liangshan is dotted with stars. Above, a brilliant galaxy lights up the dark night, while in front are the towering Liangshan adorned with countless lights. Perhaps our teaching journey is also a twinkling star, illuminating our hearts and embellishing the dreams of the children. The innocent smiles and sincere words of the children are our motivation to keep going. Lighting the candle of dreams, warming all of Liangshan, we continue on...
Contributors: Hu Songping, Liu Sa (Academic)
Photo provided by: Hu Songping, Liu Sa (Academic)
