Gansu Care: Lina

Love Has Transformed Me

​Love helps people grow and transforms lives. The love from Little Red Scarf is just like the love parents shower their children with—never ceasing and never failing, accompanying every child in their care....It seems as if even ten million thank you’s would not express my appreciation. Little Red Scarf’s love needs to be passed on, so that every person in need of help can feel its warmth.

In early August 2016, I received an invitation to attend a summer camp that was organized by Little Red Scarf. 

This was my second time participating in Little Red Scarf’s summer camp. The first time was in 2010, just three months after the completion of my surgery. Since then, six years have gone by.

​I now have robust health and confidence, and I just graduated from college this year. That’s why I chose to be a volunteer this time around. I was so happy to finally be able to make my own modest contribution to Little Red Scarf.

​Camp started on August 8th, so I boarded the bus to Lanzhou on the 7th, then met with Yun and several other teachers and volunteers at the office. Because it was the first day and we were not familiar with each other yet, people were a bit cautious and reserved with each other. By the next day, however, the dynamics were much better. In the morning we went to our respective stations to meet the children.

​In the office, I saw many other children who, like me, were lucky enough to be able to receive help from Little Red Scarf. When they first arrived in the office they seemed timid. By about noon, however, more and more children arrived, and we began to become familiar with one another. Some of the children had already found their friends.

​The staff for this summer camp also put in great amounts of effort. They carried out detailed and meticulous planning, arranging the entire agenda and daily activities. For the entire duration of the camp, all we had to do was follow the detailed plans, and if there was a momentary change we all knew what to do.

​Throughout the summer camp, in addition to the teaching that us volunteers did, there was also a variety of fun mini-games. Children's laughter could be heard at all times in the farmhouse’s small courtyard. On August 10th, we went to the provincial museum, and then we went to the provincial hospital where all of the children who had undergone surgery received a free medical examination. I also had an examination, an ultrasound which showed me that my post-operative recovery was smooth and that I was perfectly healthy, as healthy as a normal person.

​One of the greatest contributions, in my opinion, of the staff was the "metamorphosis footprint” activity. Teachers took photographs of each child before and after surgery to let us see our own growth, and many people (including me) were moved to tears. It allowed me to re-acquaint myself with Little Red Scarf. Their love is just like the love parents shower their children with—never ceasing and never failing, accompanying every child in their care. The staff watch the kids grow up, silently recording every child’s growth.

Love helps people grow and transforms lives. This is the truth. New campers were timid, but in the space of a few days, the children were no longer nervous, and their innocent smiles radiated confidence. They laughed and joked around, boldly exclaiming "good morning!" "goodnight" and "thank you." They dared to confidently voice their ideas and act out characters in stories. They had the courage to challenge themselves, always persisting in challenging games and ultimately reaching success

On the last day of camp, a Little Red Scarf teacher gave me and my brother 2,938 RMB ($440 USD) of care money. At that moment, I did not know what to say. It seemed as if even ten million thank you’s would not express my appreciation. Little Red Scarf’s love needs to be passed on, so that every person in need of help can feel its warmth. As we have received its care, we should transfer this positive energy, and our continuous efforts should attempt to give back this love so that the whole world can feel its warmth.

Children, in order to spread this love, we must work together!

Original article written by Lina, translated by Emma Cockerell, edited by Carolyn D.