Henry Wu, G11 吴宇睿

QSI International School

I first got engaged with the charity program “The World in Your Eyes” as a volunteer in November 2024. The program, initiated by the Shenzhen Longhua Disabled Persons Service Association, aims to help the disabled integrate into our society.

The experience has taught me precious lessons in empathy, respect, and the reciprocal healing power of charity.

Perhaps unbeknownst to many, there are 4,526 families with disabled members registered in Longhua. During one reach-out event, 15 families with primary school kids interacted one-on-one with 15 invited disabled families. At the event, a mom told me that it was “her child’s first time attending a group sports activity.”

It struck me then how crucial it is to support the disadvantaged, as things we often take for granted can be precious for them.

At a Christmas-themed event hosted at the Hard Rock Hotel, children with disabilities were taught to make cookies for their parents. The seemingly simple steps, typically easy for non-disabled children, required more detailed instructions delivered with great patience.

A visit to a local factory in January brought forth a harsh reality: While an instructor demonstrated the product quality inspection process, a father gazed at his son with Down syndrome and murmured “How long will it take him to learn the procedures?”

The mix of hope and despair paints the daily reality for 4,526 families in Longhua.

I often ponder on “neurodiversity,” a concept explored in our biology class. Like the various shapes of clouds in the sky, children with disabilities perceive the world in different ways.

Currently, we are trying to integrate the CAS (creativity, activity, service) module from international curricula into activities for them. For example, we record career guidance short videos to help disabled youth understand the basics of various job roles.

Perhaps true empowerment should be not only about offering one-sided assistance but also about listening to the voices of the disabled.