The Global Elite Leaders Program allows volunteers to help others, challenge themselves, and grow through activities; it is a very meaningful volunteer activity.
On the first day of the 2018 Global Elite Leadership Camp, we went to Daxi Baiji Elementary School with students from Youde International Primary and Secondary School to teach local children about Earth Day - plastic-free living, and told them the importance of environmental protection. In the afternoon, everyone strolled in the Jiaobanshan Image Business District, enjoying the gentle breeze that was different from the flat ground, and chatted with the friendly and humorous tofu pudding shop owner for a long time. In the evening, everyone rested in the Xikou Atayal Tribe, listened to the stories told by the aunts in the tribe, sang and danced together, and drank some millet wine together. Everyone had long forgotten the hard work of the day, and wandered in the quiet mountains and forests with our joyful laughter.
The next day, everyone got up early. Watching the sunrise, we greeted a new day with a happy heart. We first went to the Xinxikou Suspension Bridge to have a bird's eye view of the magnificent Dahan River, and listened to the teacher's explanation of the history of the suspension bridge and the tribe's past on the suspension bridge. Then we returned to the Xikou tribe to experience making mochi; and made our own bamboo bowls, bamboo cups, and bamboo chopsticks, and had lunch with the local elders. In the afternoon, we walked to the farmland next to the tribe, and everyone bent down with seeds in their hands and buried the seeds of cosmos one by one, so that tourists who walk up from the Xinxikou Suspension Bridge in the future will no longer see a barren field, but a beautiful sea of flowers.
The Global Elite Leaders Program has entered its second year this year. I hope that we can continue to grow and thrive like the seeds of the cosmos, and reap the same rich rewards in next year's Global Elite Leaders Program.
Mayor Zheng Wencan's speech video
Global Contribution (Community) Student Volunteers Thank Mayor Zheng Wencan Video
Volunteer Experience Sharing
Chen Congdi
Before I joined this activity, I thought the task was easy, but when I actually joined, I found it was very challenging. In addition to teaching the students our viewpoints, the more difficult part was how to clearly express the ideas we wanted to convey to the public in just a few minutes and make them agree with us.
This event also allowed me to see different Aboriginal cultures.
In addition to their traditional culture, such as bamboo tableware and bamboo swords that can be used for hunting, I also learned about their traditional culture and language. Although the weather was very hot during the whole process, this process also allowed me to gradually cultivate the courage to face setbacks, and also made me understand how much my own abilities are still insufficient without the help of parents and teachers.
Thanks to this event, I was able to re-evaluate myself and improve my ability to cope with difficulties and setbacks in the future.
Last year, the Global Contribution Volunteer Association came to Qiying to promote volunteer activities in Taitung Aboriginal tribes. At that time, I didn’t have the opportunity to participate because of time constraints. This time, I learned from my class teacher that Global Contribution will hold an English summer camp in August. Although it was stuck in the middle of summer tutoring, I still decided to go. For a two-day and one-night trip, we came to Baiji Elementary School and Xikou Tribe to volunteer and promote the concepts of World Earth Day and environmental protection and plastic reduction.
Tang Yu
On the first morning, we went to Youde Bilingual Primary and Secondary School for the flag-raising ceremony, and then went to Baiji Elementary School with students from Youde Junior High School. We hope to pass on knowledge by having high school students teach junior high school students, and junior high school students teach elementary school students, because people of similar ages speak similar languages and can achieve better communication effects. After arriving at Baiji Elementary School, we and Youde Junior High School were divided into four groups. We first taught them the origin and purpose of World Earth Day, and promoted plastic-free living, and co-produced a short film to present the above concepts in a mixed Chinese and English way. After the students from Baiji Elementary School arrived at the audio-visual classroom, we accompanied the students from Youde Junior High School to the stage to share World Earth Day using PPT, but we could only assist from the side, and the entire process had to be left to Youde Junior High School to express themselves. We set out for Xikou Tribe in the evening. When we arrived at the tribe, an elder performed a purification ceremony for us, hoping that we could let go of distracting thoughts, immerse ourselves in nature, and return home safely in the next two days.
In the evening, we enjoyed a tribal meal, which was really delicious, especially their marinated pork, which tasted very different from the usual ones! Afterwards, we sang Atayal songs and danced with the tribesmen. I found that their songs and dances directly expressed their joy and simplicity. Most of the content was celebrating the harvest or blessing the newlyweds. There was rarely any sad atmosphere, which made me happy. Soon the sky darkened. When I looked up, I saw a sky full of stars that I had never seen before, twinkling like gems. We looked at the unpolluted sky and ended the first day's journey.
The next morning we went to walk on the Xikou suspension bridge. The air on the mountain was very fresh in the morning. When we looked down while going downhill, we could see that the Xikou suspension bridge was even more sacred and gorgeous in the glittering lake. As we walked on the suspension bridge, the Atayal elders introduced us to the Atayal culture. As we walked, we felt hungry and just returned to the tribe to have breakfast. After that, the tribesmen taught us how to make bamboo bows, bamboo bowls, bamboo chopsticks and bamboo cups. We had to split the bamboo and then cut it into round shapes with a knife. The process was very novel and required a lot of patience because it was difficult to apply force with a knife. If we didn't want to cut our mouths while eating, we had to work hard. At noon, we used homemade tableware to serve our meals. The tribesmen gave us roasted suckling pigeons. It was the first time I had this dish. It tasted very similar to chicken but was harder and chewier.
In the afternoon, we introduced Earth Day and global contribution to the tribe, so that the tribe members can also use the contribution platform to absorb knowledge from all aspects, and upload their own crafts, so that everyone can better understand the Atayal culture. The last activity, the Atayal farmer took us to the field to plant flowers. The sun was very strong at this time, and we were sweating all over as soon as we went to the field, but the Atayal farmer was still calm and regarded farming as a hobby. Every plant is their treasure, so they don’t feel tired. We looked at their backs working hard and started working silently. I hope we can have the opportunity to come back here next year to see how tall and beautiful the flowers we planted are.
The two-day and one-night volunteer trip gave me a deeper understanding of environmental protection practices, and I also found joy in helping others. I think it can help people in remote areas understand more about world trends and narrow the gap between urban and rural areas. I also hope that this environmental protection promotion activity can help more people understand the importance of reducing plastic and do their part for the earth.
Ye Taijun
This volunteer activity was very exciting and busy. It was not as relaxing as the previous activities. Instead, it was a mission to promote Earth Day. In addition to promoting Earth Day, we also went to the Atayal tribe to learn about the aboriginal culture.
What interested me was the bamboo cannon, which was used by the Atayal tribe to pass messages in the mountains. Bamboo cannons are made by roasting fresh bamboo in a blazing fire, but roasting is also dangerous because bamboo may explode in the charcoal fire, so only old hunters roast bamboo. I was also interested in their phonetic alphabet. Their alphabet is not as complicated as imagined. Instead, it is like English alphabet, but the pronunciation is different. We are also lucky to meet a teacher who is proficient in Atayal language and teaches us how to pronounce and understand Atayal culture. This volunteer activity also made me realize that it is not so easy to convey my ideas. I have to simplify the information I think of again and again, and I cannot ignore the key points, let alone elaborate on a large amount of information. This kind of learning experience is rare in school, but this activity has enabled me to improve my abilities in this area.
Zhu Liqin
This volunteer activity was very fulfilling and interesting.
I felt the liveliness of the children at Youde; I felt the nature at Baiji, and the green campus gave me a refreshing feeling; I deeply felt the enthusiasm and friendliness of the indigenous people at the Atayal tribe.
In the process of volunteering, I found that it is not easy to tell a story with my own ideas and make the listeners understand its meaning. I must first organize the information, grasp the key points, and make it my own before I can tell it simply and clearly.
In the Atayal tribe, we experienced firecrackers, tasted delicious local cuisine, and made bamboo tubes for bamboo tube rice and bows and arrows! I also found that the native language of the aboriginals is actually very similar to English! The stories told by the aboriginal aunt were not enough. We planted beautiful cosmos near the Xikou suspension bridge. Next time we come back, all the flowers will be in full bloom!
In the past, I volunteered mostly to collect invoices or clean up the environment. Thanks to the Global Volunteer Association, I have the opportunity to experience the indigenous culture and understand the meaning of Earth Day and the impact of plastic on our lives...
This event, like the starry sky at night in Xikou Tribe, is a beautiful and unforgettable memory.
Pan Xingyan
I am very happy to be able to participate in the global contribution volunteer activity this time.
The itinerary was very rich. The most impressive thing was to experience the life of the Atayal tribe. Although it was very tiring, I learned a lot about different cultures. Especially making bowls, chopsticks and bows and arrows, it was really fun~
What surprised me the most was their environment, which was much cleaner than I imagined and very comfortable to live in. The next day, I went to the fields to plant flowers and experienced the life of a farmer. Under the scorching sun, there was no shelter at all, and I felt my skin was burning. I can only say that farmers are really, really hard-working. I think this activity is very meaningful. I really experienced a lot and gained a lot. I hope this activity can continue.
Chen Yishan
I am very happy to participate in the activities organized by the Global Volunteer Association. In these two short days, I really gained a lot. For example, I have a deeper understanding of the World Earth Day, and I have learned how to teach what I have learned to elementary school students. I am also very happy to know the culture of the indigenous Atayal people and eat a lot of local food. I have experienced how to cut bamboo into daily necessities. I have a thorough understanding of the original life of the indigenous people. I am also very grateful to the teachers and brothers who assisted us this time. Because of your help, I can smoothly carry out this two-day and one-night activity. I hope to participate in such a meaningful event next time.