Lifepegs, the international lifeskills activity club in Changchun, northeast China, recently moved to a larger facility to accommodate and serve more members. I joined the host of volunteers who signed on to do up the place and had the privilege to work with many Chinese and international members and the Lifepegs staff team. The facility needed a lot of work but everyone appeared eager to face the challenge.
During my first time at the new property, the goal was to completely paint the first floor of the four-storey building. This space would serve as the primary gathering area. A member experienced in renovating gave a painting demonstration.
As I and another member painted a wall, a Lifepegs worker looked on making it obvious he wanted to help. I gave him my roller, and another member who also quickly became efficient in painting followed him. Reflecting on all the paint I used that never reached the wall, I think they learned better than I did. The day ended with several of us having a late but satisfying meal at an outdoor barbecue.
After the first floor was painted, we focused on the garden. A forest of overgrown weeds and even a large, solitary sunflower confronted us. Although there is nothing inherently entertaining about clearing garbage from a patch of earth, having fun was contagious as everyone joked and laughed throughout our effort. Having some landscaping experience, I shared my idea about building a wall to prevent erosion for a very uneven section of the yard. When a member suggested using wood for the wall, it provided an opportunity to explain which types of materials would last the longest.
After pulling out all the weeds, the volunteers discovered a lot of tile fragments, bricks, and plastic bags. These were collected in buckets, which we hauled down to empty into a large bin. As our evening ended, a truck arrived full of plants that needed planting.
It was indeed a precious and fun experience of learning new skills and enjoying teamwork as we worked together to renovate our very own clubhouse which we will get to enjoy with many others.
Goducate, with its mission of helping young adults in China to help themselves, has opened a second Lifepegs student activity center in southern China. The new center is located in one of the city’s major campus districts with a student population of 60,000 to 70,000 from 8 universities.
The core team of 3 native workers trained by Goducate worked hard to renovate and get the center started within 28… Continue reading
Five of the first batch of trainees who completed the Goducate training program for basketball officials did not have to wait long to get their first jobs. And the jobs were not for matches at village level (where they had done their training), but at inter-university level. This job opportunity for out-of-school youth arose with the 10-day visit of the Indonesian Youth Team from West Java to play against eight… Continue reading
Goducate believes in encouraging the students at the literacy centers to read. However, it has not been easy to set up a library, or somewhere to store books securely. For one thing the centers are scattered over a wide area. For another, many centers are the living rooms of the locals into which the students squeeze for their lessons, while others are very basic structures consisting just of a roof… Continue reading
Recent Comments