Over the 4-day Christmas break in 2018, 40 Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interactors went to DuAn County to share our love with the students there. The trip was made possible with the support of the Chinese Liaison Office, the Education and Youth Bureau, and the University of Macau.
It took us 12 hours by bus to get there, but the fellowship among the different generations of the Rotary family made the long trip enjoyable. We visited two primary schools. Our Rotaractors prepared interactive English lessons, outdoor games, and gift sets for the students. Several of our participants were teachers and teachers-in-training. They were inspired and encouraged by the students’ enthusiasm to learn there.
We also visited a special education school, which provided residential education to 370 students with different forms of disability. As the principal and teachers shared their journey of building the school from scratch and their challenges in keeping the school running, we were all touched by their love and dedication. Our donation of 370 sets of winter clothes to the students was just our small support for their work.
The last school visited was the DuAn Experimental Middle School, which was constructed with the support of the Rotary Club of Macau and the Rotary Club of Kowloon North years ago. Today, the school has become the star school in the city. We presented scholarships to 100 students from rural areas. Our Rotaractors had a basketball match and some interactive activities with the students there. The highlight of the visit was the variety show in the evening, which was attended by 2,000 students and teachers. Our Rotaractors and Interactors were like celebrities, enjoying the screaming and clapping as they performed on stage.
Same as the past 19 years, we went to Guangxi on a bus full of gifts and materials, and we went home with a heart full of joy and love.