Author: Kaixin Yan
The light shimmered and bounced off the rooftops in her village. A father and daughter walk along the path. She holds his hand and looks up at him in wonder. They pass by dark silhouettes in doorframes. A few step out into the light to shake the father’s hand. A Guang (阿光) trails behind her father as they walk back to their house. She saw her father’s kindness and dedication in his work helping others in their small village. She saw their gratitude through greetings and gifts at their doorstep. Her father emanated diligence in her like small rays of light tickling her skin.
And that’s what she aimed to do. Learn from her father. Create a world of compassion through volunteering.
A Guang found her path to giving in college. During her time in Wuhan, she fell in love with volunteering. Her passions differed drastically from those of her peers, giving her a sense of ostracization. But volunteering was where she made her true mark in the world. Starting from domestic organizations and working her way to international ones, A Guang did it all when it came to bringing more good into the world.
Each mission was more liberating than the last. Soon, A Guang joined an international non-profit organization called AIESEC. She basked in their mission of empowering young people to make a progressive social impact. She saw herself in the people she was helping, pledging to solidify her impact. Three years of this work and she became a shining star just like her father. The gratitude of those she helped mirrored the gratitude of her neighbors all those years ago. She did not gloat in the spotlight but took it as a cue to dedicate more time to her work. This time around, she was determined to share her view of China’s rich culture with the world.
Traveling to Kenya on her first trip abroad with AIESEC opened her eyes to the worldwide impact she could have. This was the summer of her junior year in college, a momentous year to secure her future career, and A Guang found no better way to spend it than on a volunteer trip.
In Kenya, A Guang helped other promote environmental protection and worked with local organizations to communicate their message to villagers. Through her extensive background in humanitarian work, she helped prospective businesses to Africa’s landscape while minimizing their effect on the environment. Her main initiative on the trip was to get rid of the metal wired traps that poachers set up to hunt the animals. Cutting the rings and freeing animals stuck in these traps allowed A Guang to rescue hundreds. During this time, A Guang promoted environmental protection locally but also back home to a wider Chinese audience, sharing her unique point of view about her experiences.
A rainbow run was another event she organized. 700 people covered in red, yellow, orange, green, blue, and violet streaks of paint ran through the Kenyan forests. A plethora of diversity on every level. A Guang fostered close friendships during this event and continues to work with these activists in a variety of areas.
One area of focus was women empowerment, particularly for young girls. Education and outreach was their one goal of promoting girls’ learning and power. Although, Kenya’s government banned female genital mutilation many years ago some tribes, particularly in the Masai Mara, still engage in this practice. This form of circumcision is extremely dangerous for the young girl who may experience bleeding and other pains that could plague her for a lifetime. A Guang and her team of activists rescued these girls. They opened a rescue center where the girls could be housed and educated. They had to cross many hurdles including a shutdown from the government on rescue centers but A Guang persisted in her efforts to provide the most for the girls. In the end, after much communication amongst her team and further local experience, they decided to personally sponsor five girls all the way until college. This way, the money would be spent directly on the girls’ education and livelihood. A Guang relishes in their accomplishments but also mentions the struggles that got them to their system right now. Even though she was not ultimately deterred by their setbacks, it proved to be more challenging than she anticipated.
A Guang’s experience with her volunteer work has led her to believe in the two most important functions Chinese people can do in their volunteering. The first of which is to provide money directly to these organizations. The second of which is to communicate these stories back to China, thereby changing some stigmatic perspectives and get more Chinese people involved. She has done both of these first hand, by reaching out to a wider Chinese audience to call on them to donate and engage in their mission.
Upon returning to China, A Guang has traveled to Xinjiang and Yunan to help girls get the education and learn more about the cultures there. In the future, A Guang would like to pursue a career in environmental protection and continue her volunteer work. Issues related to global warming, accessible education, and closing the gender gap are all projects she will commence in the future. A Guang continues to believe in her mission for compassion through volunteering and wants to make the same impact in the world as her father did in her small village back home.