Teenagers return home with gratitude and a new attitude
- By Pang Li
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E-mail China.org.cn, July 23, 2012
Several dozen teenagers from AIDS-impacted families returned to their hometowns in Henan Province on Sunday after attending a seven-day summer camp which took them around Beijing, taught them valuable communication skills and boosted their self-confidence.
The summer camp, sponsored by Hong Kong Chi Heng Foundation, took 40 teenagers aged from 10 to 18 on tours of the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Tsinghua University and several companies, including a Beijing branch of the Standard Chartered Bank. It also gave them dancing and drawing lessons and chances to play games.
On Sunday afternoon, amid cheerful games, dancing and farewell tears, some teenagers shared their feelings and discussed how the camp had changed their attitudes and perspectives.
Children with one or two AIDS-stricken parents are usually under intense pressure and are reluctant to communicate with other people. However, many teenagers on the summer camp said that the weeklong experience boosted their self-confidence and made them more open to the outside world.
A boy by the name of Dapeng said that seven days ago he was very shy and spoke very little. Now, after seven days of mingling with his peers, he said that he was more open and cheerful and realized that he enjoyed making friends. A girl named Qiqi commented that she had undergone the same change. She said that now, as well as being able to communicate with others, she was also inspired to make more such efforts in future.
Another girl, Yingying, said that the camp had taught her to remain optimistic. She also commented that learning how to dance had given her more confidence by offering her a glimpse of her potential.
In addition, the youngsters said that the help and care they had received from the foundation's staff and volunteers made them realize the value of giving. Yingying said that she wanted to become a useful and responsible member of society in order to give back and help those in need.
Luoluo also learned that giving makes life more worthwhile. She said that she would make the best use of her university life and would like to help others in the future.
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