Written by: LEH Foshan Y12 Student Mika
Parents that commute from the countryside to the heart of Guangzhou may not have the time or energy to support their children from afar, leaving their children behind to their own devices. These “left behind” children roam the area aimlessly, eyes glued to their screens, negatively influenced by other “left behind” children through their harmful habits and mannerisms. With a lack of solutions, parents entrust their children to the care of the charity.
In late November, a group of student volunteers from the LEH-Foshan Service ECA went on a trip to rural Guangzhou with the mission of teaching, supporting and guiding the children of the Shining Star Charity.
“We are here to bring happiness to the children” - Mr. Duckworth, leader of the Service ECA.
In addition to the trip, Mr. Duckworth also arranged an art auction to raise money for the charity. Students donated their handmade art pieces and worked hard each week painting and drawing to help the cause.
“I want to make the world a better place” – Joanna Yi, student volunteer, donator of 15 art pieces.
Day 1 : Games and Art
In preparation for the next day, the group held a meeting upon arrival to discuss the plans in anticipation of the children. The volunteers affirmed their plans with the encouragement of Mr. Duckworth and Summer Tan – a founder of the Shining Star Charity.
The next day, upon arrival at the community centre, we were greeted by enthusiastic children. Many of whom recognised returning volunteers from last year and even remembered their names. The day’s first activities followed a brief introduction. Icebreakers were played; volunteers and children broke off into smaller, mixed groups to build familiarity. Games such as “Simon Says”, “Rock, Paper, Scissors” and “Hot Potato” were played. The LEH students showed both creativity and versatility inventing new games to play when the children lacked interest. Meanwhile, some students and adult volunteers prepared the treasure hunt with great teamwork and direction.
When breaktime arrived, the children’s unhealthy eating choices were laid bare on the counter of the nearby convenience store. All the children opted for sodas and flavoured drinks over water and an abundance of lollipops and latiao (spicy chewy wheat flour stick) wrappers appeared on the ground. A pattern emerged over the duration of the trip where neighbourhood kids who appeared no older than 15 stopped to watch the group, some smoking and throwing orange peels to the ground. Without good role models, guidance and knowledge, these behaviours could influence the children and become normalised. It is important to understand that these children are not innately inclined to these behaviours. For example, when a child threw a wrapper to the ground, they willingly correctly their behaviour when told by one of the volunteers. The children showed generosity, offering the students snacks they had purposefully bought for them. In consideration for the children, Summer advised the volunteers to not buy snacks for the children unless they bought snacks for all the children, in case it implied favouritism. These small details show the extent that the charity and volunteers care for the children.
Following the break, children spent half their time treasure hunting and the other half bracelet making. These two activities proved to be extremely engaging. In the treasure hunt they sifted through storybooks to make full sentences from the snippets of paper, even shaking the books for the elusive “treasure”. The children were competitive, but also compassionate as they helped others. Games of charades brought out their acting skills and comedic talent. Bracelet making was an unexpected favourite. All the children were reluctant to leave the activity. One of the two children interviewed, when told to choose one activity they liked the most, although enjoying everything, chose bracelet making as their favourite. To further inspire the children to learn English and think creatively, the volunteers caringly crafted English names for them, which they could incorporate into their jewellery designs. The students and children worked together to make the bracelets, highlighting the children’s trust in the students to help them and the students’ readiness to be there for them. Multiple accidents happened where jewellery came undone and beads scattered, but these only displayed the children’s mental fortitude; as rather than being discouraged, they picked up the beads and started over. On the occasion that the children had heated disagreements, they quickly resolved them between each other or with the help of the volunteers.
“People may think they lack compassion due to their “wild” behaviour, but they are actually very considerate and kind,” - Carolina Flores, transfer student and volunteer.
After lunch, the children alternated between painting and outdoor games. The students lead in games like “Duck Duck Goose”, “Red Light, Green Light” and “Stuck in the Mud”. When playing, bonds between the volunteers and the kids shone under the sun. Painting was a lot calmer in contrast, encouraging children to be mindful and tap into their imagination. Although they were interested at first, the kids lost interest without sufficient prompts and engagement from the students, which was addressed by the meeting in the evening for improvement. Students showed flexibility by introducing smaller-scale games for the children who no longer wanted to paint, reflecting on their goal; to bring happiness.
During the day, other left behind children who couldn’t sign up for the activities due to being too young floated around the community centre. Although they weren’t allowed to participate, the students treated them with compassion and engaged with them outside of the activities.
To conclude the day, Summer guided everyone to sit and reflect on their happy moments of the day. All hands shot up in the air when Summer asked who had fun. The children and volunteers had undoubtedly made unique and unforgettable memories.
Upon returning to the hotel, a meeting was held to discuss what went well and what could improve. Across the board, everyone had done spectacularly well in engaging the children and they all had a lot of fun. On the other hand, details were brought up; for example, when not given a goal to work towards to, the kids tended to lose interest after a while. Therefore, the students were to be more attentive to the kids during creative activities and prompt the children to think deeply about their art, who it was to and what they wanted to do. Summer also advised the students to limit their phone usage in front of the children and to not go to the convenience store whilst the children were there to not affirm any bad habits they might have.
Approximately 90% of left-behind rural children regularly use smartphones for entertainment. This can lead to smartphone overuse, which is significantly associated with academic problems and health risks1. To be good role models, the students were careful to take care of their behaviour so that the children would be inspired to spend less time on their phones.
After a group consensus was reached, the students split off into the groups they were going to work in the next day. They prepared and double checked their plans and responsibilities with input from Summer, Selina and Mr. Duckworth.
Day 2 : English Lessons and Messages
The day began with thought-provoking activities; Christmas-card making and English lessons. The students leading the Christmas-card making guided the kids to draw festive elements and leave heartfelt messages for their families inside. Some children didn’t like the idea of writing Christmas cards at first, but with gentle encouragement and prompting from the students, they quickly became involved and created their own meaningful drawings and messages.
“I decided to come on this trip because I wanted to help the children learn new things, have new experiences, and I wanted to make memorable memories,” - Angie HungWu, student volunteer.
During the English lessons, children learnt how to write their favourite hobbies and interests, pairing these with drawings. Here, many kids demonstrated their excellent English proficiency and learning ability. When asked where they had learnt English, they replied humbly and casually. Without a doubt, if provided stable and fair education, these children will do well.
“Teaching them in the right way, they learn fast, run fast, have a lot of potential, love to respect one another.” – Summer, who also commented that the “teachers are patient and encouraging” and that the LEH students “inspire them to learn and practice English”.
When asked what they had learnt, one of the children said they had learned how to express their hobbies in English and words they hadn’t known before, e.g. “peace”. They also said learning English is very fun.
After breaktime, the group dove into a timed challenge – stacking the highest tower using only paper and tape. The four groups of mixed students and children competed with their combined skills of communication, creativity and teamwork. Tensions rose as the kids clearly became increasingly eager to win. This was undoubtedly one of the most successful activities of the trip. Following this fast-paced race was arts and crafts. Each child personalised their own 2 jigsaw pieces and encouraged to write a positive message. The goal was to put together their own group project, every contribution adding to the art piece equally. The children showed great innovation, with some even using special brush techniques and learning from the volunteers to achieve desired results.
A variety of games were played after lunch: parachute games, “Mafia”, “Musical Chairs” and more. The students ran into a problem of the parachute not being as large as they had expected, but their quick problem-solving skills allowed them to work around this and altering the games to suit the circumstances. The rotation of games and prepared backup games made for a lot of fun. Finishing touches were made on the jigsaw pieces, practicing their English and the messages they want to give. Some students wrote messages to the children too. For example, Constance wrote “Work Hard”, and other messages encouraging the children to grow up healthy and well.
Finally, to end the final day, everyone gathered into the room where the volunteers did a forfeit for being late that morning: singing “Let it go” to the enthusiastic audience. Mr. Duckworth distributed gifts: every child receiving an LEH founder’s day t-shirt. Even more heartwarming, his daughters, though unable to volunteer, donated many of their loved toys to the children, which were very well received after the children performed short poems themselves. There was a lot of bustle in which shirts were signed, pictures were taken and both students and children expressed their wishes to meet again.
“One of my most memorable moments from the trip was when the group started signing the children's shirts because I felt that the children were happy we were there,” - Angie HuWu, student volunteer.
Many students believe that the trip inspired the children. The children see them as role models and this can give them future prospects.
One of the interviewed children said that she enjoyed having fun with the students a lot, and hoped that she could visit the school. She also welcomes the students to come back to the village where she hopes the students can come more often and teach English classes.
“Even the parents are asking about the next activity visit, next visit to school. I hope the students can see how much of an impact they have on the kids” - Summer
The charity
Shining Star, a non-profit organisation formed by a handful of scholarship-receiving college students, began with their strong belief that everyone, whether rich or poor, can help one another. Their mission is to bring everyone a colourful life at school, and to ensure that every child in the countryside has a rich school life.
“We believe everyone has the ability to help others” - Summer
Like a shining star with a radiance that illuminates the darkness, everyone is a shining star.
“Every child is a shining star. Everyone is a shining star.” - Summer
Parents that commute from the countryside to the heart of Guangzhou may not have the time or energy to support their children from afar, leaving their children behind to their own devices. These “left behind” children roam the area aimlessly, eyes glued to their screens, negatively influenced by other “left behind” children through their harmful habits and mannerisms. With a lack of solutions, parents entrust their children to the care of the charity, which supports the children’s mental health.
The population of left-behind children in rural China is significant, exceeding 61 million in recent years. These children face unique challenges due to the separation from their parents, which often leads to difficulties such as loneliness and depression, as well as issues related to their academic engagement2.
“There used to be a community centre here, but for the last year, the social work community centre (has been) cancelled… the kids here don’t have many activities (or) chances to see the world outside… The students of LEH… provide some fun activities and English lessons (which) help them to be more confident… learn English… and create good habits” – Summer*
Particularly in rural areas, shortages in resources limit the quality and fairness of basic education. This not only affects individual student development but also hinders regional economic and social progress3.
“Sometimes I feel bored—when I’m bored, I just walk around the village, then go home, then get bored again, then sleep, and after sleeping, walk around again,” – Child, 12 years old, when asked what he would do without the volunteer visit.
The urban-rural education gap remains a critical issue in China's basic education reform. Unequal resource distribution, disparities in teacher quality, and insufficient educational infrastructure in rural areas severely affect students' development opportunities and educational equity4.
“I think the teaching resources here (lack greatly) compared to the resources in Guangzhou centre, but the exam is also (taken by everyone)” - Summer
Ran by only 5 full time staff in the Guangdong Province, the Shining Star is a woman-owned and managed charity that has a reach all over Guangzhou. With the help of college interns, part-time staff and volunteers, many children’s lives are changing and reforming with each day. The charity forms long term partnerships with schools, often longer than a year. Not only that, but the charity also runs an internship program that invites students to gain work experience in a meaningful service.
There are two main groups they support: the rural left behind children and scholarship children. Left behind children are often labelled as rude and misbehaving.
“Even local kids talking about left behind kids also think they are rude, that they don’t respect adults and always play games,” - Summer
The charity sees through this typing and values every child as themselves. Summer recalls a visit 2 years ago when the charity was running a summer camp for the children. When in a local store, the owner asked why the volunteers were teaching them; they are rude, they don’t wear proper shoes, and they don’t listen to their parents but was pleasantly surprised to see the children so well behaved despite the heat of the summer. No child complained, and all of them wore the right shoes for the activities.
The proceeds from this year’s art auction go to providing funds for the scholarship children. These scholars from disadvantaged backgrounds will receive huge support from the donated funds and the Shining Star Charity where financial pressure will be taken off their families so that they may complete 3 years of high school. This will have a massive impact on their families and relieves parents’ worries about their children’s futures. Donations also go towards opening school programs to enrich children’s lives.
[Rural] parents may see their children struggling in school and see greater value in keeping the children at home to learn more practical skills having to do with agriculture or the family’s trade. Parents in rural areas are less likely to have received a formal education themselves, with many not having completed the now compulsory nine years of education. These parents may be less likely to value the education of their own children or to possess the skills necessary to help their children with homework or school-related activities. As a result of internal migration, just over 20 million children were left in rural areas in 2015 while parents worked in the city; nearly 14 million of these children were primary school age. These children are often left in the care of grandparents who may not value education or have few resources to aid in their grandchildren’s education5.
The charity is greatly supported by donations and the help of volunteers. They welcome volunteers for teachers and summer camp to do educational visits. Long term internships have a large impact on helping launch programs for the children. If anything, raising awareness for mental health problems and left behind children would help not only the children, but the world.
Conclusion:
The students and the children had a symbiotic relationship, where while the children had role models which they could look up to, the students were exposed to different life backgrounds which they’d not experienced before and had the amazing opportunity to take leadership and responsibility roles that would develop their prospects and interests. Summer believes that the children truly cherish the visits and put all of themselves into each visit. It is a stage for the children to show their personalities and develop their potential with patience and encouragement from the student teachers.
“After this trip, I felt a sense of gratitude that my parents were able to be present during my upbringing because many of these children don't have the chance to spend a lot of time with their parents because their parents are busy. It has made me realize that I should be grateful for the things that I have because the things I take for granted can be a luxury for many people,” - Angie HuWu, student volunteer.
The students have an amazing positive influence on the children, which is reflected in their behaviour even after a year. For example, a child who came off as rude and obnoxious (running around during class and watching his phone when told not to), learnt how to be polite and considerate of others. After participating in activities, he began to follow the rules of the games and be more respectful to his peers and teachers. Summer, who made this observation, was also pleasantly surprised that he apologised after accidentally stepping on her foot, a great improvement from the past.
“I really appreciate how LEH supports Shining Star and I can see each year, no matter the teachers or students, they are so involved and put their all into preparing the lessons and whole activities, and that everyone wants to help this village in the long term. It will really impact the kids. The parents are always asking when is our next activity, the next trip to the school. I think LEH has built a strong bond with the village, and this relationship can benefit both parties. So, I invite everyone from LEH to come join and see the kids and spend time with them to know their world. I’m enjoying this process and I hope the students can see how much they impact the kids on the service trip” - Summer’s Message to LEH
Footnotes:
1 2. Li N, Liu W, Yu S and Yang R (2025) Parental supervision, children’s self-control and smartphone dependence in rural children: a qualitative comparative analysis from China. Front. Psychol. 16:1481013. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1481013
3. UNESCO. Global Education Monitoring Report 2020: Inclusion and Education [R]. Paris: UNESCO, 2020
4. Yang, X. (2024) “The Impact of the Urban-Rural Education Gap on Basic Education Reform in China.” Vol. 6 Num. 6, 2523-5818. 0.23977/trance.2024.060620
5. Bradley, Mollie. “Elevated Dropout Rates in Rural China.” Ballard Brief. August 2020