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ACTAsia Summer Camp: Three Remarkable Students
This summer saw the inaugural ACTAsia summer camp to be held in the remote county of Haiyuan County – a semi-arid zone in north west China. This inhospitable region has experienced many economic and social difficulties with school enrolment rate lagging behind its urban neighbours. Knowing that education is not always prioritised in this challenging part of the world, ACTAsia was thrilled that the Summer Camp was a huge success with over 100 children participating over four days.
ACTAsia formulated a fantastic range of activities for the duration of the camp as part of its award-winning Caring for Life (CFL) education for children. Humane education which is often referred to as PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) is widely taught in the west but is not taught in Asian schools. Without these lessons, children are not taught vital life skills such as empathy, compassion, the importance of protecting animals and the environment and how all living creatures are interconnected.
As Hanlu, one of the ACTAsia team members explained:
“Haiyuan has never been exposed to Caring for Life education before, and it is a region where quality education is relatively weak. We hope to take this opportunity to let the children of seafarer’s experience or appreciate what CFL education is for the first time.”
The goal of the Summer Camp was for the children to gain a better understanding and relationship with nature, how to respect all living things and how to cultivate empathy. We spoke to many of the children, volunteers and staff during the Summer Camps to get a real feel for the tremendous impact of the camp on this rural community. The stories of three students really demonstrated how attendees started to think differently after the four days.
In Haiyuan, 11-year-old Zhang Yan once saw pets as unclean, expendable and carriers of rabies. However, this view changed after participating in “The Perceiving of Life” workshop. This theme, which is central to the curriculum, aims to help children develop empathy across species and a sense of responsibility as pet owners.
After the lessons, Zhang began to realise that animals, like humans, have basic needs and feelings and how she can show greater care and empathy towards animals and her peers in her daily life.
In Ningxia, 11-year-old Li Xinyue, had a difficult relationship at home with her younger siblings which was causing stress within the family. However, at the Summer Camp she learnt to view her family relationships with critical thinking. She realised that her mother’s perceived favouritism towards her brother might stem from traditional beliefs and that her sister’s wilfulness might need patient guidance. The course also emphasised responsibility: as an elder sister, she could take the initiative to improve the relationships. Xinyue also learned about the concept of “empathy” for the first time. In her view, empathy was an important way to bring people closer and build trust.
As Li Zinyue explained:
“Empathy means that people can trust you and are willing to tell you what has happened to them. Then you can help them and their mood will improve.”
Another student from Ningxia also had a transformative experience at Summer Camp. Wang Kehui struggled with her confidence and joining activities. However, a volunteer teacher, Mai Xiaohua, noticed the girl’s reluctance and made a conscious effort to engage Kehui in conversation and involve her in various activities throughout the day. The volunteer encouraged her to participate in the outdoor team games and Kehui soon discovered a hidden talent – much to the joy of her classmates. The activity boosted her confidence and self-worth and Kehui found herself boldly expressing thoughts and ideas to her peers. “Emotional intelligence” is one of the core themes of the Caring for Life Education curriculum. It encourages students to express dissatisfaction or appreciation appropriately, fostering clear and complete communication and deepening interpersonal relationships.
The stories of these three students are testament to the fact that ACTAsia’s CLF education at the Summer Camp has played a huge part in bringing about positive change by transforming societal attitudes towards animals and promoting empathy and compassion.
Trainee Teachers also learn the benefits of CFL education
The Summer Camp enrolled a number of trainee teachers to help deliver the interactive activities which, as ACTAsia team leader Echo explains, was also hugely beneficial for the region.
“Another valuable aspect of this Ningxia Summer Camp was that the volunteers leading the team were all students from Ningxia Normal University meaning they will become teachers after graduation. They will have gained valuable insights from the Summer Camp’s content, including lesson preparation, interaction with students and reflection on their lessons. Furthermore, from my interactions with them over the past few days and their feedback, I’ve seen that CFL education has deeply touched them. I’ve also seen that these volunteers have strong educational aspirations. I believe they can carry this seed of CFL to every school they choose to attend, bringing positive influence to every child and parent they meet.”
The ACTAsia Summer Camp truly demonstrates the transformative power of education. Through ACTAsia’s CFL course, children can put care and action into practice. Through learning and reflection, children can develop a more mature sense of responsibility and greater empathy for animals, people and the environment. This is the change brought about by Caring for Life Education – giving every child the opportunity to become a better version of themselves.
If you have been inspired by ACTAsia’s work and want to learn more about the benefits of Caring for Life education, then please do get in touch. Equally please consider donating to ACTAsia to help further our global reach.
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