In a season that often ends up being more about getting than giving, it’s important to take a step back and think about how we can contribute to and engage with the communities around us. While parents might have a history of charitable activities under their belt, how can they encourage kids to follow in their footsteps and develop an understanding of the importance of charity? Thankfully, life in Beijing presents plenty of opportunities to help out.
Start Small
In the wake of the social and economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever that we support those in need, and it doesn’t take much to do your part. It could be as simple as getting kids to help with decluttering around the house (make it a competition to see who can come up with the most items) and then taking them with you when you go to the donation point.
Ideas include:
• Roundabout recently organized a ‘Backpack Drive,’ with the backpacks donated going directly to schoolchildren in Qinghai. As Deputy Manager Cindy Marie Jenkins noted in a blog about the drive, “When your kids think about how they would feel if they didn’t have something so essential as a backpack for school, it could very well cause them to look around their rooms and notice other items to donate.”
• Another mom told us that she includes specific “donation” money in her teenage kids’ allowance and that the family sits down as a group a couple of times a year to decide where to send the money.
Where You Lead, They Can Follow
Peipei Wang, development officer at Stars and Rain, a non-profit institution that specializes in educational services for autistic children and their families, described how volunteering can be passed down from parents to children.
Back in the mid-2000s, a mother brought her five-year-old daughter to the organization’s school during the summer holidays. One decade later, that same girl still visits Stars and Rain every year with creative ways to raise awareness for the school.
Ideas include:
• Collecting donations of unwanted books from her elementary school classmates
• Collecting well-wishes from famous local artists and compiling them into a book for the students.
Make It Clear Who They’re Helping
“Charity” can seem like a bit of an abstract concept, especially to younger kids. That’s why it’s important to find ways for kids to engage on an emotional level with the people they are helping. It can also be helpful to find charities where your kids can see and understand the direct benefits.
Ideas include:
• Volunteer or raise money for organizations that work with children such as Stars and Rain, as kids may be more likely to connect with the problems of people their own age.
• The company Mantra, in partnership with non-profit Education in Sight, donates a pair of prescription glasses to a child in rural Yunnan for every pair of sunglasses sold. This “buy one, give one” model is easy for kids to understand.
Encourage Them to Use Existing Skills
Taking part in charity activities doesn’t necessarily have to mean traveling to a distant province or stepping too far out of your comfort zone (although we do encourage that, too). Wendy Lu, director of Roundabout’s cooperation and development department, told us about a Year 12 student from Dulwich College Beijing who spent her summer leading a tennis training program in her compound, using her years of experience in the game. After taking part in Roundabout’s reading club last year, she decided to donate the money she raised from her lessons to Roundabout, who used the money to support an 11-year-old girl in Gansu Province.
Ideas include:
• Budding Mozarts could hold an impromptu concert
• Future Great British Baking Show stars could bake treats and sell them to their classmates (always check with the school beforehand).
Just Get Involved!
Ultimately, there’s no wrong place to start when it comes to getting children involved in charity. Many charities and organizations around Beijing put together events specifically targeted at children, such as performances or art auctions, but you can also encourage your kids to come up with their own ways to contribute by having them think about what they’re good at and what social issues they are interested in, perhaps in relation to something they have been studying at school.
Follow the organizations mentioned in this article:
Roundabout
WeChat ID: Roundabout666
Stars and Rain
WeChat ID: xxy19930315
Education in Sight
WeChat ID: 点亮眼睛
KEEP READING: Updates: The Latest in Beijing School News
Photos: Unsplash, Myboys.me/Shutterstock,
This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 December issue
