AFD China has been committed to helping children in need and caring about their health, education and living condition. "Let the Swans Fly" is a charity project that provides financial support for Yanjing Little Swan Public Welfare School. By providing funds, we help the school purchase sufficient teaching aids, cultural and sports equipment, learning supplies, daily necessities, etc., to ensure that the children have sufficient educational resources.
Although the Covid-19 epidemic more or less affected the work of the school, the school head, teachers and students still managed to overcome various difficulties and successfully completed the teaching and learning tasks. The "Let the Swans Fly" project has vigorously developed volunteer teaching in He’nan province and trained a group of computer programming teachers in rural areas. Although these teachers are not highly educated, they are the backbone of rural education, because they have been teaching in the rural areas for decades, and with a deep love of their hometown, they are willing to put in more effort for the children there.
The "Let the Swan Fly" project also pays special attention to some children whose parents or middle-aged guardians are seriously ill, have died or have re-married. Those children not only face financial difficulties, but also have to struggle with psychological trauma. The school not only offers them a variety of fee reductions, but also provides dormitories for some of them. In order to take care of these children and provide a more favorable growth environment for them, the school has arranged a female teacher with more than 30 years of teaching experience as the dormitory supervisor. Under her guidance and help, the children have gradually opened their hearts and become more and more vivacious.
In February, 2022, AFD China provided funds again for the school to purchase textbooks, learning supplies, teaching aids, cultural and sports equipment, daily necessities, etc. and to subsidize the round trip fares of volunteer teachers in summer and winter vacations. Through this little effort, we hope we could help lay a foundation for the children there to embrace a bright future.
As described in the verse from an ancient Chinese poem, “Spring silkworms spin till death, running out of yearning thread; Burning candles weep, till no more tears they can shed”. Nowadays people often use the traditional metaphors of “silkworms” and “candles” to praise teachers and describe their selfless long-term serving and dedication. In modern society which is full of material desires, it takes great love and courage for these teachers to dedicate themselves to public welfare education. We hope to let these teachers know that many people have seen their efforts, many people care about them, and many people are willing to join them and work with them to care for and help the children.
Not only children and education need such schools and teachers, but the society also needs such schools and teachers. We are willing to be a strong supporter of them. As they move forward without hesitation to continue the noble cause of education, we are also more determined to support them.
Charity is a long journey without an end, in which some people may join in at a certain point, and some people may leave at a certain point, but there will always be people who keep on going. We hope that on the way forward, we will always have old friends and also meet some new friends, and together we will let warmth and love become the eternal themes in our life.
