Heifer

Twenty-eight students, parents and teachers joined Heifer for a study trip to Guizhou Province to visit the recipient families and learned about their lives as well as Heifer's work.

The participants received a warm welcome from the villagers in Baxian Village of Sansui County, whose difficult lives seemed unimaginable to the HK visitors. "I've learned that we're very lucky and we have almost everything we want, " said Katie, P5 student from Clearwater Bay School.

Another village they visited were Baishui of Kaili County, where Heifer's project has started more than 2 years ago and the villagers were eager to share the changes they've experienced : self-help groups were set up to bring the community together to work towards self-reliance; new pig raising techniques were taught to increase the productivity; income was increased and they were able to pay back their debts, buy necessities and pay for the children's school fee. Some of them have even "Passed on the Gift" early and helped other families in need. The participants also worked with the villagers together to build a cistern and they enjoyed it very much.

The participants shared what they felt about the trip :

"It is quite sad that so hard working people have to be quite poor. The children still seemed happy although they had barely nothing." - Thorwen, P5 student, Clearwater Bay School

"I've learned that although there're a lot of developed cities in mainland China, there're also many rural areas where the living conditions needed to be improved. I want to be a volunteer to serve the people in the rural areas when I have time." - Wan Man Ho, S4 student, Shun Tak Fraternal Association Yung Yau College

"Before I just knew that pigs were dirty, now I found that piglets were super cute and they help people to earn money." - Francis, P5 student, St. Stephen's College Preparatory School

"I've learned how much I have and how much I can do for others, by giving very little or not much of what I have." Eileen, teacher, Clearwater Bay School

"The kid of the family I visited showed us his homework and his writing was good. He studies hard and I was touched." Loretta, parent, St. Stephen's College Preparatory School