January 13, 2012
The Giving Tree project is an annual charitable effort which connects our students to those less fortunate children in rural Qingdao. One of the rural satellite cities, Jimo, was the destination for connection this year. We discovered a primary school with many children attached to families who struggle through the harsh winter and luxury items are never seen or enjoyed.
Every YCIS Qingdao student was given a very large travel sack to fill with rice, flour, cooking oil, charcoal fuel and warm clothing for the receiving child. With the generous assistance of our families, the bags were completed. On January 10, we loaded the tremendous pile of care on a truck and went to visit the recipients in Jimo.
To add richness of another kind, cultural exchange and friendship, all YCIS Qingdao students of Year 5 and above attended the visit to the primary school. We were greeted by rows of excited little faces, all wrapped up against the cold. Our students spent time in the rural classrooms, talking with the local children and exchanging questions. Songs were shared before enjoying a free playtime in the yard together. The goodwill and kindness was recipricated in the giving of handwritten cards to our students.
As Chinese New Year was iminent the visit was a suitable tribute to the cultural exchange and open-mindedness we embrace at YCIS Qingdao.
