Larissa Tu, G9, RDF International School

On the first day of the National Day holiday, I traveled to Xiaogan Village in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to volunteer as a teacher.

Children in this small village lack resources for art education, and the primary goal of my short tenure was to teach them art. I also helped them brush up on their Chinese writing skills.

With carefully prepared teaching materials, I arrived at the village. The hospitable locals warmed up to me immediately. Encouraged by the innocent earnest look in the children’s eyes, I started my first class. In my art class, I taught students to paint in watercolor.

Although it was a totally new art form to them, what they did surprised me. It is no exaggeration to say that every one of them is an artist. Their works show their rich imagination and creativity: a house built with pearls, rabbits and carrots holding each other’s hands, a beautiful scene of the countryside, and more. A boy named Leo impressed me a lot. His paintings of watermelons and lemons were so vivid that I couldn’t believe these were his first watercolor works.

I put all their paintings up on the wall when they had finished. My teaching opened their eyes to a new form of art and to their own potential. They really gave me a strong sense of accomplishment!

In my writing class, I asked them to write an essay about nature.

To give them some inspiration, I took them to the nearby fields to experience nature. The sun shined, the birds chirped, and the farmers were working in the fields. When they came back to class, I asked them to write down whatever came to their minds. When I read their essays, I was deeply touched by their sensitivity and love of life.

“Miss Tu, we love you.” When a shy boy ran to me and gave me a big hug at the end of our visit, my eyes became misty.

Although the volunteering experience lasted only a few days, a deep bond has taken root between me and the kids of Xiaogan Village.