UM members join service learning trip to Congjiang again

14 members of the University of Macau (UM) Cheng Yu Tung College (CYTC) between 7 June and 13 June participated in the college’s third service learning trip to Congjiang county, Guizhou province. During the trip, UM members gave lessons to students in Dadai Primary School. They also visited native tribes of Miao people to learn about their culture. 

Led by resident fellow Diane Lu, UM students gave lessons to 332 students between grade 3 and grade 6 in Dadai Primary School. The lessons were conducted in small groups in workshop style. In the first section, titled ‘Learning about Yourself’, UM students taught local students about puberty as well as the effects and dangers of early marriage and childbirth based on the request of the school’s senior management. In the second section, titled ‘Learning about Home’, local students learned about different provinces and cities in China, in particular Guizhou. In the last section, titled ‘Learning about the World’, the UM team shared with the students the three coloured races of mankind, the earth, the moon, and the sun, so that they could understand the vastness of the world. The service learning programme was complemented by a wide range of teaching aids, short drama presentations, and TV news sharing, with the aim of teaching children the importance of developing empathy and a positive attitude towards themselves in their adolescence. The programme also aimed to encourage the students to continue their studies and pursue higher education, so that they can contribute to the community and give back to their homeland in the future.

Nine out of the 14 CYTC members have volunteered at this primary school in Congjiang for the second time. They feel very happy to be able to return to this mountainous area and provide educational services to children in the village, which let them fulfill their social responsibility and show their love for China. At the end of the trip, the CYTC members visited native tribes of Miao people and the renowned Jiabang terrace to learn about the culture and natural beauty of Guizhou.

Dadai Village is located in a mountainous area and the majority of the villagers are Miao people, who have their own language and culture and still lead a traditional rural way of life. Members of CYTC visited the primary school for the first time in July 2018 and conducted their first service learning programme there in December in the same year. During the stay, they had conversations with local officials and the school principal to learn about the needs of the students. In 2019, with the sponsorship of the Macao SAR government, the new campus of Dadai Primary School became operational. It was also the first time that the CYTC team visited the new campus as part of their service learning trip.