Hand In Hand With Han Mingzhui

To bridge the educational gaps for children in remote villages in China, we launched our Send A Volunteer Teacher Program for newly graduated teachers and retired educators. One of our volunteers is Teacher Han Mingzhui (26), a Chinese and English language Teacher for 45 grade two students. 

She first started in September of 2024, and later became a homeroom teacher for these second-graders. We are fortunate to hear his story through a letter she sent us.

It was a clear spring afternoon, the weather warm but never scorching. A mountain breeze swept over the freshly green hillsides, gently swirling across the schoolyard, lifting a bit of dust into the air. I stood at the edge of the playground, watching the children from my class as they ran and played freely under the sun, their cheeks flushed red with joy. Smiling, I clapped my hands and called out, 

“Everyone, come over here! Let’s play a hand-in-hand game!”

Like a flock of little sparrows returning to the nest, the children rushed toward me, quickly forming neat lines by their groups. I spread my arms wide and said, “Hand in hand!” Instantly, the children knew what to do—they eagerly reached out, grasping for their friends’ small hands and linking up. Each little hand, slightly damp with sweat, held tightly onto the next, and also reached for my warm, steady hands. Together, they formed a wobbly, misshapen circle—but one that was solid and unbreakable.

Bit by bit, the children adjusted their positions, and the circle began to round out. With excitement bubbling over, they stepped and bounced in place, the circle swaying with laughter like a string of ripe fruit dancing in the breeze.

“Let’s go!” I called out, and the group took it as a signal. Their feet began to move in rhythm, turning the circle slowly at first, cautiously, then faster and faster as their joy took flight. The circle spun with growing speed, and their laughter soared higher and higher, echoing in the bright sunshine. Even the mountain birds resting on the treetops nearby were startled by the sounds of delight, fluttering away into the distance.

After countless turns, the children finally collapsed in a heap of breathless giggles, their cheeks glowing, eyes sparkling with leftover excitement. I looked at their flushed faces, radiant with pure, unfiltered happiness, and called out with a smile, “Come on! Let the sky see your smiling faces too! Raise your hands—above your heads!”

Still holding onto one another, they lifted their little arms high. The gentle sun bathed their joyful faces in light.

The game came to an end. The children, chattering and laughing, ran back toward their classroom—just like a flock of little birds returning to the forest.”