Success Story – Kayla Kuo 

Introducing Kayla Kuo, a loyal ACTAsia supporter who believes in education

Kayla is an invaluable member of the ACTAsia team  and a supporter for nearly ten years. Her dedication and passion for ACTAsia’s work has been integral in helping to grow our award-winning education programmes. Growing up in Taiwan, her background is in Marketing and Communications, on a commercial level.

When Kayla took part in ACTAsia’s Caring for Life Education summer camp in a remote mountain village in the Houzhai Miao Township in Guizhou Province, it was a place where she witnessed first-hand the profound impact of ACTAsia’s Caring for Life programmes and the need for long-term solutions to deep-seated issues.

Reaching the village requires a three-hour flight from Shanghai to Guiyang, followed by a four-hour drive through the mountains. It is a place where beauty is mixed with challenge, where children grow up amidst nature but all too often without the comfort of parental guidance. Her story with ACTAsia speaks to the spirit of compassion and the indispensable importance of education to brighten the future.

Kayla was struck by ACTAsia’s vision of using education to foster harmony between people, animals and the environment. ACTAsia’s work to address deeply rooted societal issues was something that really resonated with Kayla, and she became an active volunteer, eventually moving on to become a keymember within the organisation. Kayla’s passion for ACTAsia’s mission was ignited by the realisation that empathy and responsibility are the foundations to building a kinder and more sustainable world.

Kayla’s Journey with ACTAsia to help left-behind children

Kayla recalls travelling to Houzhai Miao Township in 2016, to take part in ACTAsia’s Caring for Life Education Remote Summer Camp. This innovative programme brings ACTAsia’s philosophy to life and it was an eye-opening experience for Kayla, cementing her dedication to ACTAsia’s educational and compassionate mission. 

Based on UNESCO’s Four Pillars of Education, the ACTAsia’s Caring for Life summer camps encourage children to connect to nature, themselves and those around them. The camps promote empathy and responsibility in addition to care and respect for people, animals, and the environment. Kayla’s role at the camp was multifaceted. She led the children through interactive activities and perhaps most importantly, provided children with the warmth and compassionate support that so many of them lack. The participants, often referred to as left-behind children, are part of the staggering 1 in 5 children in China whose parents have migrated to cities for work. Left alone or in the care of elderly grandparents, these children often lack critical emotional and educational support.

In remote villages without parental care: “much of the responsibility for education falls on the school,” says Kayla. “What kids learn in the classroom is critical. Over the course of one day, I watched them learn and grow.”

Systemic challenges emphasise the need for sustainable change 

Kayla recalls a poignant story involving an 11-year-old girl who had been a regular attendee of the camp but had recently begun to miss classes. During a home visit, Kayla and the team discovered the girl’s heavy obligations: caring for her younger sister and visually impaired grandmother while managing all domestic duties. The burden of these responsibilities had overshadowed her childhood and access to education. Kayla and the ACTAsia team supported her in developing tools to express her needs and to seek help, ultimately helping her regain a sense of joy and confidence.

“The state of children being themselves in their natural environment is a rare treasure” 

“We are not here to give handouts but to experience life with the children,” Kayla says. This philosophy reflects ACTAsia’s approach to public welfare: creating meaningful, sustainable change rather than temporary solutions. By nurturing critical thinking and empathy, the Caring for Life programme equips children to navigate a complex world while cultivating their intrinsic compassion.

Looking Towards the Future 

In the years since she first travelled to Houzhai Miao Township, Kayla’s support of ACTAsia’s mission has grown exponentially.  She envisions a world where Caring for Life principles are second nature and where every child grows up understanding their responsibility toward others, animals and the environment. Her hope is to see the expansion of ACTAsia’s programmes, ensuring that more children—especially those in marginalised communities—have access to life-changing education.

Although she has moved on from ACTAsia, but is still a staunch supporter and still actively fundraising for ACTAsia as a volunteer. 

Thank you, Kayla, for your years of incredible dedication and hard work!

Your support can help ACTAsia continue its award-winning work, providing children with the education and compassion they need to build a better future. Please Donate to ACTAsia’s Caring for Life Programme and be a part of the compassionate movement. 

Donate now