Thirty university students and several teachers from Tsinghua, Beijing Normal, Beijing Forestry, Beijing Union and Minzu universities shared their experiences about teaching in rural areas at a Siwei Voluntary Aid meeting held at the Ziquan Club in Beijing on March 19. 

 

Volunteer teachers shared their experiences during a Siwei Voluntary Aid meeting in Ziquan Club, Beijing on March 19. [Photo by Lin Liyao/ China.org.cn]

From January 14 to 20, the 30 volunteers taught elementary school students of poor villages in Ningxia, Hunan and Henan provinces, organizers said.

"The program is beneficial not only for the students but also for us," a Beijing Forestry University student said, who taught in Yongshun County, Hunan Province. Volunteers said that the program opened a window for poor students to see the outside world while it also provided a chance for university students to understand the realities of rural society and gain practical teaching experience.

Siwei Voluntary Aid, founded in 2009, is organized by Beijing Siwei Charity Fund and Western Development Volunteers Association of Beijing Forestry University. After two years, more than 100 university students were sent to rural areas to provide free lessons for poor students.

The NGO's name Siwei refers to the traditional "four social bonds" in Chinese culture - propriety, justice, integrity and honor.