Glorystar Chemicals Funds School Uniforms for Students in Yunnan’s Mountain Communities
Glorystar Chemicals
News
Recently, a volunteer teacher known as “Little Sheep” and Li Zhenlin, vice principal of an ethnic-minority primary school in Misha Township, Yunnan, led three student-support volunteers through the mountains, reaching an altitude of 2,749 metres, to deliver new uniforms for the 2018 school year to seven schools.
Pupils at Misha Village Central Primary School and its six branch schools were delighted. Each received a custom-fit uniform as their first gift of the new school year.
Guangzhou Glorystar Chemicals Co., Ltd. is a caring company based in Guangzhou. Its chairman, Mo Wanquan, funded 47,188 yuan worth of school uniforms for 251 students in the mountain communities.
The volunteer teacher known as “Little Sheep” explained: “Since I came to teach in these mountains in April 2015, Mr Mo has kept up with how the children are doing. Many families deep in the mountains are extremely poor and cannot afford school uniforms. As a result, uniforms are inconsistent and difficult for schools to manage. Mr Mo decided to contribute what he could so the children could wear smart, matching uniforms like their peers in town. This is the second year he has made this donation.”
Misha Village Central Primary School has 152 pupils from the Bai, Yi, Han and Lisu ethnic groups.
Hengchang Branch has 22 pupils from the Bai ethnic group.
Xizhuang Branch has 17 pupils from the Bai and Yi ethnic groups.
Xihechong Branch has eight pupils from the Bai ethnic group.
Dongzhuang Branch has 10 pupils from the Bai ethnic group.
Yangjiacun Branch has 10 pupils from the Yi ethnic group.
Xihuoshan Branch has 22 pupils from the Han ethnic group.
The volunteer teacher known as “Little Sheep” said: “This is my third year here. In my first year, I raised money through WeChat Moments and arranged for caring donors to provide school uniforms. It was the first time all seven schools in the township had uniforms. Mr Mo later said he would fund them every year. The ethnic-minority villages deep in the mountains are far apart, and poverty here is severe. There are many challenges, including children who are out of school or left behind, elderly people left behind, and illnesses linked to child malnutrition…”
Over the past three years, I have accompanied Teacher Li Zhenlin on visits to villages to check in on families and distribute donated supplies. With help from donors supporting students, all children who had dropped out returned to school. We also connected more than 70 primary pupils, over 10 high-school students and three university students with educational support.
The school’s bathrooms, library, teaching supplies, uniforms, Children’s Day gifts and graduation ceremonies were all supported by caring donors.
Teacher Little Sheep, a petite, kind-hearted volunteer from Chongqing, first visited the mountain communities of Yunnan in early 2015 while travelling. Meeting the local children changed her life. She became known as the village’s “lady benefactor” and a bridge between the mountain communities and the outside world, bringing in supporters who helped children return to school and families receive assistance.
Teacher Little Sheep said she would continue poverty-relief and education work through a charitable model that balances short- and long-term support, infrastructure and educational resources, and immediate relief with lasting capacity-building.
She said, “The children’s dreams are my dreams.” She will continue supporting the children’s aspirations and helping more of them make their dreams come true.
