《珠海特区报》Guizhou gets GLV＇s love

Guizhou　gets　GLV's　love
By Betty Lin 《珠海特区报》
2009.6.14

    "LOVE　Has　No　Border　&　Home　Is　Around　You,"　Eileen　Peng,　a　29-year-　old　teacher　with　the　Guizhou　College　of　Finance　&　Economics,　tweaked　the　hearts　and　purse　strings　of　a　hundred　teachers　and　students　at　Gateway　Language　Village　(GLV)　at　Ningxi　Culture　Square　in　Xiangzhou　on　Friday　after-noon.　　　　　

    Depicting　the　substandard　living　and　learning　conditions　of　students　in　poverty-stricken　areas　of　neighbouring Guizhou　Province,　she　kicked　off　a　presentation　at　which　22,4005　yuan　($3,280)　and　HK$1,400　were　donated　while　some　teachers　showed　intent　to　become　volunteers.　　　　

    At　the　end　of　the　presentation,　Eileen　startled　the　assemblage　with　her　latest　decision:　she　will　donate　the　150,000　yuan　($21,962)　of　tuition,　which　is　to　be　used　for　her　upcoming　study　in　Britain　for　a　PhD,　to　rebuild　a　Guizhou　school　destroyed　by　a　hail-stone　just　days　ago.　"I　can　see　my　future　clearly　if　I　go　to　Britain,　but　if　I　do　so,　where　will　be　the　future　of　the　children　in　those　areas?　I　won't　go;　instead　I'll　go　back　to　the　children.　However,　150,000　yuan　($21,962)　is　all　I　have,　and　it　is　far　from　enough　for　recon-struction　of　a　school.　So　here　I　plea　for　your　help,"　she　said　tearfully.　　　　

    A　master's　degree　graduate　of　Yunnan　University　Law　School,　Eileen　received　an　offer　of　a　doctorate　of　law　from　abroad　in　2005.　Before　departing,　however,　she　traveled　to　Guizhou　with　some　friends.　There　she　was　shocked　by　young　children　wearing　thin　clothes　in　cold　weather　and　their　family　be-longings　worth　no　more　than　100　yuan　($14.64).　She　immediately　decided　to　work　there　as　a　volunteer　when　she　re-turned.　　　　　

    Despite　strong　opposition　from　her　family,　she　spent　four　years　traveling　to　35　of　the　88　counties　in　Guizhou,　teaching,　helping　to　repair　schools,　collecting　books,　raising　funds　and　organizing　volunteers.　Since　she　is　going　to　Britain　for　a　PhD　in　September　and　the　terms　of　seven　volunteers　will　expire　in　July,　she　turned　to　GLV,　where　she　had　studied　English,　for　help.　　　　

    The　appeal　letter　she　wrote　to　GLV　Principal　Ping　Hong　and　her　story　were　published　in　the　Qianjiang　Evening　News　in　Hangzhou　in　late　April.　In　response,　89　people　from　various　walks　of　life　applied　to　be　volunteers　and　six　of　them　were　eventually　selected　for　training　at　GLV　Hangzhou,　according　to　Kelly　Morine,　GLV　Zhuhai　English　Programme　Teacher　Training　&　Development　administrator　from　Canada.　In　addition,　17　cases　of　pencils,　note-books,　color　pens　and　other　items　were　collected　in　merely　three　days.　They　were　delivered　via　air　freight　free　of　charge.　　　　

    Eileen　told　the　assemblage,　"A　volunteer　may　change　200　children's　fates　and　10　volunteers　may　change　2,000　children's　fates,"　which　was　what　most　impressed　the　volunteers,　a　Hangzhou　entrepreneur　applicant　surnamed　Ying　said.　　　　　

    GLV　Hangzhou　then　organized　a　trip　to　deliver　the　donations,　meet　the　students　and　see　what　Eileen　was　doing.　Foreign　teachers　Sandra　and　Robert　were　in　the　group.　They　visited　schools　and　some　homes,　and　enjoyed　getting　together　with　the　students.　　　　

    Hangzhou　is　going　to　set　up　a　training　course　for　volunteers　before　they　go　to　Guizhou,　where　the　students　can-not　be　separated　according　to　age　due　to　the　scarcity　of　teachers　and　facilities,　Kelly　noted.　　　

    "As　the　GLV　main　campus,　we　will　also　get　the　teachers　trained　here　free　of　charge　for　Guizhou,"　said　Kelly,　adding:　"I　mean　it's　a　great　idea.　Obviously　there　are　many　poor　areas　in　the　world,　but　the　fact　is　you　take　an　area　and　you　do　what　you　can."　

    The　ceremony　had　been　decided　up-on　a　week　before　and　posters　were　put　in　the　hallway　while　a　memorandum　for　teachers　was　issued　during　the　past　week.　Kelly,　who　has　worked　at　GLV　for　nine　and　a　half　years,　said　Chinese　are　amazing　in　organizing　quick　responses　such　as　charity　donations　to　the　devastating　Sichuan　earthquake　areas　last　year.　"People,　in　both　Hangzhou　and　Zhuhai,　when　they　decide　they're　going　to　do　it,　it　gets　done.　I'm　amazed　by　it,"　she　said.　　　

    "We're　hoping　that　with　more　people　volunteering　to　go　there　for　a　short-　term　period,　there　will　be　more　teachers　available　so　that　the　students　can　get　a　better　level　of　education,"　Kelly　said.　　

    Helping　accommodate　the　volunteers　will　be　part　of　the　training,　Kelly　said.　The　living　conditions　are　quite　basic　and　facilities　limited　in　those　areas,　posing　serious　challenges　to　volunteers　from　modern　cities.　The　training　programmes　will　not　only　prepare　them　to　teach　those　different　levels　of　age　groups　in　one　class,　but　also　the　reality　of　an　impoverished　lifestyle,　Kevin　Brown,　a　teacher　from　the　US,　noted.　　　

    "Some　people　can　make　a　simple　confession　in　life　that　we're　a　little　modernized　here　and　have　these　mod-ern　comforts.　We　can't　live　without　them　for　long.　But　I　mean　if　somebody　has　the　passion　and　desire　to　help　and　can　go　through　certain　inconveniences,　the　rewards　can　be　fantastic,"　he　said.　　　

    Nonetheless,　it's　easy　to　start,　but　difficult　to　keep　the　momentum,　Kelly　pointed　out,　noting:　"It's　important　that　people　know　where　the　progress　is,　what's　happening　and　the　children　are　in　progress.　When　they　see　that　kind　of　progress　in　life　and　in　humanity,　it　makes　them　want　to　keep　going　for-ward."　　　

    Kevin　is　proud　that　GLV　has　fos-tered　a　philosophy　of　creating　a　sense　of　family　and　helping　each　other.　Stu-dents　are　judged　not　only　by　what　they've　achieved　academically,　but　what　they　contribute　to　the　community.　"You　have　knowledge;　you　have　a　skill　and　a　passion.　Those　are　the　three　ele-ments　you've　got　to　prepare　individuals　for,"　he　said.　He　foresees　that　the　pro-ject　can　grow　much　bigger　than　even　GLV.　　　

    The　volunteer　project　is　designed　to　cover　around　2,000　students　in　certain　areas　of　Guizhou,　Kelly　explained.　She　said　she　definitely　believes　the　project　is　long　term.　"I　think　we're　just　going　to　open　doors　and　other　people　will　walk　here　and　say:　Ok,　I　can　be　part　of　it.　We　hope　it　can　get　out　into　the　commu-nity　very　quickly,　as　it's　not　just　a　small　school　trying　to　do　something;　it's　more　important　that　the　society　understands　what's　going　on　with　the　people　outside　and　then　to　contribute,"　Kelly　said.

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编辑：李兵 Lewis Lee