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Sherwin Shams It was very humbling for me to be a part of this entire experience. I was so enthralled by how eager and excited the children were to get to work. Everyone simply wanted to be there, and wanted to be there to work and help. On top of this the students worked well with each other. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how it would play out when we first got there. I wasn’t sure if all the students would be accepting of one another, but to my fortunate surprise they took to each other immediately! It started with Yeguo in grade 3 yelling “Niman Hao!” to all the students at Hushan Elementary School. They not only worked together, but played many games together. Our SUIS kids even helped to teach an English class! I was, and still am, so amazed and proud of how much our kids were engaged and how enthusiastic they were. Students, parents, and teachers alike from two different schools were volunteering their time and energy to build this library from scratch. What was nothing but a room full of rubble, paint buckets, and unfinished furniture, had within three days transformed into a beautiful library full of educational and recreational books alike! It has become a room where students can escape to and allow their imaginations to grow and their minds to flourish with information; a room that is their sanctuary for creative freedom; a room that is theirs. It
truly was an amazing experience that I will forever cherish and never
forget. Everlasting Impressions Rachael Kumar
What a journey! We read, we raised money, we learned and we gave back to a community that needed it. We traveled a long journey up winding and narrow roads not really knowing what to expect. We were greeted with smiles and enthusiasm from students, teachers and volunteers. We were overwhelmed with the desire to help and work together to complete this project that the students at SUIS started. I was excited with how enthusiastically SUIS students took on the challenge to raise money and build this library. I was touched by the appreciation of the headmaster and the students at Hushan Elementary School. Most of all I was humbled with how all of the children were able to put aside their differences and work together with excitement. This was the first time Pass the Love Charity had children from the fundraising school working together with the children who the library was being built for. We didn’t know how things would turn out and many of us had our doubts, but the moment we stepped off of our bus and into their school, I could feel those invisible walls that divide us, break down. That feeling has left an everlasting impression on me. The action taken by students at SUIS has impacted not only their own lives, but the lives of many children and students at Hushan Elementary school now and for many years to come. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to take part in such a wonderful project. Thank you to all who read, donated, volunteered and worked hard to make this project possible! Gemma Whittle After 6 or 7 long hours on a bus we were finally there! The SUIS students were really eager to get going with the day’s work and so was I! When we first arrived at the school we went straight up to the third floor to take a look at what was soon to be the library. It was a blank room. No flooring, no painting and looked very boring! I thought to myself that there was absolutely no way we could get this looking like a library in only 3 days (and half of one day had already gone)! We all got straight to work. Everyone was so enthusiastic and really willing to get on with the task in hand. It was great to see everyone helping out. Students from SUIS were working with some students from Hushan Elementary School to wrap books, while teachers and parents were building shelves. The afternoon seemed to fly by and before we knew it we had built around 10 book shelves and it was time for dinner. The following
day, we got straight back to work. After a few hours the library just
seemed to
appear out of nowhere. It was really starting to look like a library. I
was
amazed! Everyone was so dedicated to get the job done and they were
really
eager to get this library looking nice for the students of the school.
The
students from Hushan Elementary School were really excited to see all of
us and
wanted to get our signatures! They were extremely friendly and it was so
nice
to be welcomed by them. In the afternoon we went to look around the
nearby
village where some of the students lived. It was very different to where
you and
I live and the families that lived there were very content with what
they had.
They were so friendly and were willing to show us around their homes.
This was
an important lesson for all of us, they didn’t need the new iPhone or a
trip to
watch the latest movie, they were very happy with their lives and
content with
much less than we have. I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Hushan.
It felt really good to be able to give something to the school and the
students. The smiles on their faces made the hard work preparing,
planning and building, all worthwhile and it is something I would love
to do again. Derek Lee I really enjoyed visiting the homes of the students. Try to imagine an old barn made out of clay that hasn't been fixed in years and you get a close idea of what we saw. Most family life takes place in a big room with no flooring and very little light. Bedrooms are tiny and even lack beds. Furniture and appliances looked like antiques (and probably were). Toilets? There were none. What we think of as toilets, they had a whole dug in the ground covered by two planks of wood. After the tour, the semi-new condition of the school made more sense. Because the village is very poor, the government and volunteer groups must ensure that the school is the complete opposite. The children here deserve to learn and develop under healthy modern conditions. That is why we were helping - to advance this process. It was also important for our students to understand that there are many people in the world perfectly satisfied with much less than what they have. This was the most valuable lesson of all.
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