Young volunteers from Peking University reach out to families of medical workers fighting COVID-19
Jun 04, 2020
Peking University, June 4, 2020: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many doctors and nurses worked tirelessly on the front line while leaving their children behind. Throughout the past few months, Peking University Youth League Committee provided these children with psychological and academic support during the temporary absence of one or both of their parents.
Volunteers play games with children via video link
The volunteers designed bespoke teaching plans. They are not just volunteers; many of them are also middle and high school teachers or students majoring in psychology. Their diversified backgrounds enable them to do their best based on the needs of these children, thus ensuring that the children are satisfied with the teaching activities. After one year of teaching in a secondary school in Lhasa, Li Ang and Cao Dingduo dived straight into this activity. Li Ang reminisced about the time spent with one of the children, “The child is smart, and we found great joy in talking to her. During this special period of time, we should accompany and support each other.” Both the children and volunteers have harvested intimate friendship.
Volunteers teach online
The volunteers not only took on the responsibility of online teaching, but also held regular activities for children. Guo Chen, member of the teaching group, said that regular interactions with children added luster to his busy teaching work schedule.
Although our life has now gone back on track, touching stories continue to unfold. Recently, Peking University Youth League Committee received a letter from a medical worker coming back from Wuhan. The letter read, “My daughter told me that she was grateful to those elder brothers and sisters from PKU. Now she wants to be an excellent teacher, and a kind volunteer to help those in need.”
Harboring a sense of respect towards the medical staff, all volunteers decided to do their utmost and contribute their part in fighting the novel coronavirus. When a young girl was being taught how to write a Chinese composition, she expressed her deep thoughts to her mother in her writing. Despite being overwhelmed with emotions, she looked mentally strong and behaved normally, and sometimes even sang songs for volunteers after class. These volunteers were moved by these parents’ selflessness and their children’s toughness.
Not only have the volunteers achieved self-growth in various aspects, they have also gained a deeper understanding of what it takes to be a responsible and contributing member of the society. Through close interactions with families of the medical staff, the volunteers gained an insight into the pains and sacrifice of those who chose to devote themselves to fighting the epidemic.
Written by: Guo Xinyu
Edited by: June Tan Rui Min
Source: PKU News (Chinese)
