Volunteer Teaching in Myanmar

Huang Bin

Having carried many volunteers to and away from missions in different parts of the country， the train was loaded with love and hope， and the anticipation of its passengers was palpable.

A spark of destiny brought volunteers from all over China together to Yangon for the SRC 5I program.

Love at First Sight

Upon arrival， I joined the other newcomers in meeting young residents of an orphanage in Yangon. As we were introduced to the children， our predecessors bid farewell. The latest group of volunteers was composed of teachers from China and Chinese students in Myanmar， all participating out of love.

Kids chased after the bus carrying volunteers as soon as it reached school property， chanting “min ge labar” （hello） and radiating smiles. Both the newcomers and departing group were overwhelmed with joy. Though some of us didnt speak the Myanmar language， we could understand our young hosts by their tones and smiles. The children surrounded us， laughing and talking. Some took our hands and asked our names. Some just nodded and beamed. Others looked on， quiet and shy.

After lunch， the children put on a performance featuring songs， dancing and martial arts which they had learned from volunteers. Music， laughter and cheers resonated through the room， filling the departing volunteers with pride and making it more difficult to say goodbye.

For the new volunteers， the day prepared us further understanding between each other. We would become part of these kids lives， and they soon popped up in our everyday conversations. Someone told me that every person will meet 8，263，563 people in his or her life and exchange greetings with 39，778 of them， of whom only 3，619 will become acquainted， including 275 intimate， with the person. The children we met that day are certainly among the 275 who will remain in our memories forever.

Our first meeting was marked by curiosity， happiness， excitement and affection. Facing these kids with unusual backgrounds， we felt obliged to do everything we could.

Building Bonds

Few of us knew anything about children in Myanmar before joining the charity program， but all were impressed by our contact with them on our first day at the orphanage. We had a great time together， playing games and getting closer in the process. Even something as mundane as a balloon became great fun for us. The days slipped away before we noticed.

We commuted between our residences and the orphanage by train. Having carried many volunteers to and away from missions in different parts of the country， the train was loaded with love and hope， and the anticipation of its passengers was palpable.

Every morning， at the end of the nearly two-hour journey， we would be greeted by “min ge laba” from kids waiting at the gate of the orphanage. They wrestled to take our bags and hold our hands. At that moment our fatigue from the long drive dissolved. As one volunteer wrote： “Havent we met before？ Strangers could not have been as close and kind to each other as we are. Arent we long lost family？ People who dont speak each others language could not be as happy together as we are. You are innocent and lovely， fulfill my life and touch my heart. I need you more than you need me. Over the span of a few days you learned of a foreign culture and the outside world while my soul was baptized. Do charity in Yangon； bring sunshine to Yangon. It was so nice to meet you in Yangon. I will always remember that hug， that ‘swaggering lad， that naughty boy and the girl who held my hands.”

Volunteers were more familiar with the children by the second day and learned about their lives and studies. One volunteer named Ren introduced Chinese games and original songs to the class to help them better remember nouns and verbs in Chinese. Learning tai chi not only exposed children to traditional Chinese culture but also helped them calm down.

Another volunteer named Song served as both a teacher and a teaching assistant in others class. She taught Pinyin， the official romanization system for standard Chinese， through childrens songs， games and dances， and illustrated Chinese characters with pictures.

Cao Liang and Situ Hao provided nature and culture classes， which covered a wide range of topics， including travel， outer space， Chinese New Year and ethnic costumes. Teacher He served as both a translator and an interim “mother” for the kids—loved by all.

Seeing the love and dedication of these volunteers， the children were grateful and showed passionate interest in their studies.

Love Prevails

One week is short—too short for volunteers and children to really get to know each other. One week is long—long enough to change a life forever.

Time flies. Soon the time came to say goodbye. Although we had been expecting this day， it was still hard to fight back tears. Volunteers vowed to resist shedding tears but instead stay merry when departing.

In the welcoming morning sun， volunteers gathered again in the orphanage. For the five short-term Chinese volunteers including myself， it was our last day.

Not all children remembered the words of the songs they were taught in the past week. But when the song “Grateful Heart” was played， they all joined in.

The kids were reluctant to let the Chinese teachers go. Although the emcee tried to cheer them up， some still could not hold back tears. One child cried in silence in the backyard， the tears smearing the Thanakha cream on her face. One by one， the kids signed their names on shirts for the teachers or wrote “I love you” on their arms. A two-year-old drew a watch on the wrist of a Chinese volunteer named Song.

The kids followed us volunteers to our bus and persisted even after the engine started. They continued waving and shouting “I love you” long after the vehicle had left the compound.

Every happy day still comes to an end. But departures often herald future meetings. Dont cry， kids. Our love will continue after our departure. Even if we never meet again， other volunteers will take over the mission and continue the love.