"I failed but I stand up. Everyone in our life failed several times. But always remember changes happen from this thing." Anny, a volunteer from Bangladesh, shed a beam of light into the teenagers' hearts.
This was a scene from the "Daddy-Long-Legs: Village Teenagers Development Program" kick-off event held on August 10-11. Hangzhoufeel recruited five international volunteers to participate in this event. They engaged with village teens, caring for their growth and sharing their personal stories of setting sail in China from different parts of the world, providing inspiration and strength to the teenagers.
For the five young participants, this was their first encounter with "foreign faces," and they initially appeared both curious and shy. However, after spending the afternoon playing several rounds of “ice-breaking” games with the international volunteers, the gap of nationality and age was quickly bridged.
Nadya, a volunteer from Russia, drew a portrait for Fufu (a pseudonym) and thoughtfully used a magenta pen to outline her curly bangs, making the young girl's round face come to life. "It looks like a comic character. What a beautiful drawing!" Fufu exclaimed joyfully as she received the painting.
As night fell, the international volunteers accompanied the teenagers for a walk and watched fireworks together. Hector, a volunteer from Congo (DRC), chatted with Xiao Xuan (a pseudonym) in Chinese about their favorite sports as they walked along. Xiao Xuan shared with Hector, "My favorite sport is swimming. I even saved a little kid in the river once." Hector was astonished by the immense energy hidden within the young boy and praised him repeatedly.
Early the next morning, the international volunteers and the children went for a morning jogging, enjoying the tranquility of the mountain dawn. After the run, volunteers and teenagers sat together, opened themselves up, and talked about their growth stories and life choices. Reema, a medical student from Pakistan studying at Zhejiang University, told the teenagers, "Please keep your curiosity and an open mindset. Don't be afraid to try different things, and be brave to step out of your comfort zone."
Sarah, an American volunteer who has been in education for over twenty years, has helped children from the United States, Korea, and China overcome challenges, and changed their destinies through education. She told the children, "As a teacher, my colleagues and I are always eager to help students solve problems. So, never feel embarrassed to ask for help—reach out to your teachers with your questions and doubts. We will do our best to support you."
The two-day event ended before they knew it, but the memories will linger in the hearts of the volunteers for a long time.
The teenagers also had a few words to say to their international friends.
I think Hector is really good at making interesting videos, he's amazing. Nadya's drawing of me is so beautiful; I want to keep it as a treasure. They gave us a lot of advice, and I hope I can be as excellent as they are in the future.
Although the time we spent together wasn't long, I had a lot of fun playing games and chatting with them! I am very grateful for the two days of companionship from our foreign friends!
The "Daddy-Long-Legs" project is named after an epistolary novel by the American writer Jean Webster. The novel tells the story of a girl living in an orphanage who is sponsored for her education by a mysterious benefactor she calls "Daddy-Long-Legs".
Jointly initiated by the City Express and Alibaba Charity, the "Daddy-Long-Legs: Village Teenagers Development Program" focuses on village teenagers at the crossroads of their lives. These young people come from families that may be struggling due to illness, disasters, or other hardships, leaving them with little opportunity to explore the wider world. As they approach the end of senior high school, they face their first significant life choice—whether to continue their education or to enter vocational school and join the workforce early. This program aims to invite more people to pay attention to the development of rural youth and offer more resources to them.
As the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates once said, "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." Every participant hopes that this event will ignite a flame in the hearts of these children, helping them grow and transform, just like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.
In the future, Hangzhoufeel will continue to offer more opportunities for experiencing meaningful public welfare projects, or for discussing social issues. Please keep tuned, and you are welcome to sign up and join us.
Journalist：Wang Jin, Jiang Zhongdi
Intern: Wang Cheng
Editor: Wang Cheng, Daria Fominykh
Senior editor: Zhou Ji
Source: Hangzhoufeel
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