Teacher Zhu Shenfa’s Hope for His Students

In the southwestern part of Sichuan Province lies the Daliangshan, a region mainly inhabited by the Yi ethnic group. This area is characterized by high mountains, deep valleys, harsh natural conditions, limited transportation access, and relatively underdeveloped economic conditions. Despite this, the people here maintain simple and honest customs and uphold their traditions. They use their own hands to create a better life.

 Teacher Zhu Shenfa is a volunteer teacher in China’s Support a Volunteer Teacher program. He recounts a fulfilling and emotional moment he shared with his students in a local village:

“I took my students to help the local villagers shell corn. When we arrived at the cornfield, I was moved by the sight of a sea of golden waves, gently rustled by the corn leaves in the breeze, expressing the joy of a bountiful harvest. My students were curious and excited, and we all worked together, with some of us shelling the corn and others bagging it.

One young boy caught my attention; his hands had turned red from shelling corn, yet he kept going. His eyes were filled with determination and courage. I patted his shoulder and encouraged him, “You’re doing great. Keep it up!” He smiled and nodded.

After a morning of hard work, we finished shelling all the corn. The parents of the children were grateful for our help and prepared a hearty dinner for us. We spent a delightful afternoon playing games, singing songs, and dancing with the local children in their homes. I formed deep and meaningful friendships with them, appreciating the challenges and hardships of rural life while cherishing the time spent with the children.

I believe education is not just about imparting knowledge but also paying attention to the emotions and needs of each student. My hope is for my students to become strong, courageous, and optimistic individuals under my guidance. I hope society can provide better learning environments for children in rural mountainous areas so they can have access to better educational resources and fulfill their potential in life.”

We have partnered with five remote mountainous Sichuan schools where our volunteer teachers will be located. These volunteer teachers don’t receive a salary but live off the support from this program to meet their food, accommodation, and transport expenses. Access to these schools is difficult, and these schools struggle to get teachers because of the harsh weather and isolation, so your support means a lot to the students.

Thank you to ZURU, GPA Global, ISNS, and supporters from Captivating’s Annual Shenzhen Charity Auction for making this program supporting 30 volunteer teachers possible. 

Over 1,200 primary school students from remote rural schools wanted us to pass on a big “thank-you” for improving their education.