Joanna Zhao, G9, RDF International School

During the National Day holiday, five of my schoolmates and I embarked on a meaningful journey to Xiaogan Village in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region for a weeklong volunteer teaching program.

Preceding our trip to Xiaogan Village, we spent weeks meticulously designing class materials and activities for the program. Upon arrival, we handed out forms for the students to fill in to collect their information, and then presented an overview of the syllabus. Following the introduction, we engaged the children in an interactive game, which they totally enjoyed. Later that day, I started teaching music and dance to the children. Although some children were initially shy and reluctant to dance, all eventually embraced the learning experience and had a great time.

Recognizing that most elderly residents in the village had never had the opportunity to take photographs, let alone a family portrait, we tried to change that. During our stay, we arranged for personal photos and family portraits to be taken of every household in Xiaogan Village.

The joyful moment came on the final day of our teaching program when we distributed developed photos to each family.

The hearty smiles on the wrinkled faces of the elderly as they received their photographs become a sweet memory that will forever remain etched in my mind.

On the last day, the children displayed their talents in dance and drama. Their performances drew a large crowd of villagers, and our team also took the stage, performing for the children and their parents.

After we finished singing in chorus, the children surprised us by giving us gifts of intricately crafted paper airplanes handmade by themselves in a heartfelt gesture of appreciation.

Some of the children hugged me, asking if I would visit again. As I looked into their bright eyes, my heart welled with emotion, and I silently promised to myself, “Next time, for sure…”