The Spirit of Volunteering

Personal Thoughts and Reflections from Some of Our Volunteers:

 From Kate, who volunteers as an English teacher once a week:

It was by chance that I heard about Angel House. On the bus to Hong Kong, I happened to start a conversation with my neighbour. I told him I was looking for volunteering opportunities in Nanning and he told me about Angel House.

I started working there during the summer holidays helping the children with their exercises. Since September, I have been teaching an English class once a week.

I really enjoy using the skills I have learnt in my job as an English teacher to benefit the children. Working with them is made even more enjoyable by the fact that they are so much better behaved than many of the children I have taught elsewhere. Working at Angel House is also different to any of the volunteering work I did In Australia, which makes it even more interesting.

During my time here, I have been impressed by the friendly and supportive learning environment. I feel there are always a lot of people there to not only help the children, but also encourage them to do what they can for themselves. The teachers and volunteers at Angel House know that the children need to develop confidence so that they can be more independent in the future. 

From The Jinfeng Yezhi Volunteer Chapter, Jinbao College, Guangxi School of Finance:

The act of giving is like a rainbow from the heart

Author: Ou Ying Ge,

I joined the Jinfeng Yezhi Volunteer Chapter with curiosity and I got to know many like-minded friends in the process. We take part in various interesting activities which include offering our volunteer service once a week at Angel House.

Our weekly schedule is very simple; every Tuesday, from 3:30 to 5:30 PM, we help the children with their rehabilitation training, which includes playing games with them.

These children are not orphans at all, yet they suffer a loneliness that might be greater than what an orphan might feel. These children do not understand why the society judges them with tinted lenses, and why society misunderstands them. These children have to endure the negative attitude of society. We are able to speak properly without effort, and take it for granted. This is not the case for these children. These children have to dedicate much effort to perfect their speech. We volunteers can only encourage them to persist along the path of improvement.

I vividly recall one particular incident which I would like to share. One afternoon while at Angel House, I was chatting with a young girl and promised her that I would buy her a toy. After I made the promise, I realised that this particular toy is no longer for sale! However, I searched high and low and finally managed to get one of these toys. Seeing how delighted she was melted my heart and soul. Realising that these children remember me and actually look forward to my visits makes me felt that my efforts are not wasted.

Reflecting on my experiences at Angel House, I realise that young people should proactively contribute to the society, bringing love and hope to the needy.

“Offering Our Love with Both Hands” is the motto of Jinfeng Yezhi Volunteer Chapter. We give hope to those in need, and we shall put forth our greatest effort to offer our love and assistance.

The act of giving is like the rainbow from the heart. This rainbow has many beautiful colours that bring joy to all who set their eyes upon it. It creates a network among all of us so we can all reach out a helping hand to those in need.

 

Walking into Angel House

Author: Wei Dong Yan

Most of us experience happiness and love in our lives; and it is important that we treasure it. Why? Because we are surrounded by kind people who care for and help us. Most importantly, a healthy body allows us to experience what Mother Earth has to offer to the full degree. We use our eyes to admire the beauty of the nature, use our ears to enjoy the lovely music and use our voice freely to sing melodious songs.

However, this is not the case for everyone; people with disabilities have difficulty enjoying these daily pleasures. 

We volunteer at Angel House and through this experience I have learnt much about children with cerebral palsy. The moment I first set eyes on the children, I broke down in tears. No words can describe the feelings that I felt at that moment. Through the games that we played with them, we can feel that the children yearn for attention and love. Their innocence really brought joy to all of us. They were very sad when we left. It made me sad as well. It set me thinking; we should bring more joy to these children because they need our love and care.

We should remember the love and care that we received, be grateful for it and learn to return this gratitude to our society by extending a helping hand to those in need.

To give brings joy. It is an act of kindness. I sincerely believe that all students have a kind heart and should volunteer for those who need our help.

 

My Feelings About Angel House

Author: Xie Jia Fu

The moment I stepped into Angel House, I heard the lovely voices of the children calling out to me: “big brother!”. Their warmth made me blush. To me, they are the same as the other children. They are all bubbly, cute and full of energy. I do not sense unhappiness in these children. When I looked at them, I feel a pang of sadness. They should enjoy the same education as other children. They are unable to do so because our society cannot yet accept them. We, the volunteers, cannot offer much to them. All we can do is to play with them, and help them with their rehabilitation training.

The teacher explained to us: “These children suffer from different disabilities but we treat them just like any normal kid. We are grateful to all of the university students who have come to offer their volunteer service.”

As a university student, I enjoy the benefits derived from the Government’s support. Having enjoyed these benefits, I must work with the community to provide assistance to these children.

Lastly, I want to tell the children that I love them!

 

My Experience of Volunteering

Author: Tang Ji Chang

The first time I went to Angel House, I knew I wanted to volunteer there regularly. These children are beyond what I imagined. I had prepared myself to accompany a group of naughty children. Playing with them requires patience but it is fun. When I see the smiles on their faces, I feel that all my effort is worth it. Despite their disabilities, they too possess the innocent heart that all children have. Living under the same roof, I believe that these children have long looked upon each other as siblings. This is a unique feature of Angel House. I hope that the society will take notice of these children, give them love and care so that they can have a happy childhood.

 

Author: Zhang Ya Ting

I visited Angel House for the first time in October 2011. When the children held my hands and called me “big sister” I was touched, no words can describe how I felt. I still remember the smiles of the children. I can still hear their loving voices ringing in my ears.

They have to do difficult rehabilitation exercises every day, which is something that I cannot imagine a young kid having to endure. Their eyes exude enthusiasm for life, and make me feel like they are angels sent from the heavens. I have an urge to be part of their lives because they are so innocent and kindness.

 Going to Angel House was the first time I had volunteered. I felt both excited and a sense of pride. The children are strong and brave. They have smiling faces despite their disabilities. This is because they know that they are not alone in this fight. The teachers, families, and volunteers all stand together to help these children overcome their disabilities. I saw the love showered on the children by the teachers. They made me realised that kindness does exist, and it does not differentiate between people. It is the intention that matters. With every trickle of love poured on to the needy, the world slowly becomes a better place.