While I was teaching at a university in China, I saw needs the students had that were not met. Global Partners in Life (GPiL) wants to help the youth of China with their educational, humanitarian, and medical needs. So, that is what we attempted to address with our first visit to China making donations. Also, the university had treated me wonderfully, so I wanted to try to honor them with some contributions.
If you read my first book, Lessons From China, you will remember reading about the classrooms, dorms, and cafeterias not being heated. One classroom I had faced north, and I could see the breeze moving the curtains around the window. Within this classroom, I not only saw my breath in the cold, but I also saw my student’s hands turning red, purple, and blue from the cold. So, GPiL donated 2,000 gloves to the university for students that needed them. The gloves are in the big boxes below.
Also, GPiL donated English/Chinese dictionaries for students that couldn’t afford one. We got a few of the dictionaries out of the cases for some photographs.
The designated area for the English Corner, where people met to practice English, on campus was very near the campus infirmary, and the leader of the infirmary was a very nice lady that spoke English. When she had an opportunity, she would visit the English Corner, so I got to know her. During this trip, GPiL donated some medical supplies, which she had indicated she could use. The director of the infirmary is the lady in this photo. Her husband is standing to my left. He was a vice president of the university, and my boss’ boss. My boss is the man on the far left in this photo below; you will hear more about him later. By the way, the vice president pictured below soon became the president of the university, so I was happy for him!
The university invited some of the freshmen that would receive the dictionaries to this ceremony. I am not sure if they received the gloves, and I hope they didn’t need any of the medical supplies GPiL provided for their campus! The students looked way too young to be in college to me, but they were, so maybe I am just getting older! They are pictured below, so let me know if they look too young to be in college to you!
To Be Continued…….
