Redmond High students Hannah Yang, 15, and Kelly Jiang, 14, were inspired to go visit Shepherd’s Field Children’s Village in Langfang, China, this summer and work with the children there after fund-raising in Redmond. After coming home, both were amazed at the profound impact that the trip had on their lives and returned with a completely different perspective on their lives.
• So first, give us some background information on what you two did this summer?
Kelly: We visited an orphanage in China called Shepherd’s Field Children’s Village. It’s similar to a guardian orphanage for special orphans and is located in Langfang, which is right between Beijing and Tianjin.
Hannah: Basically, Shepherd’s Field takes in orphans from the state orphanages, which are usually overcrowded and can’t provide for special-needs kids. We decided to go there because we’d heard a lot about Chinese orphans and wanted to see what we could do to help.
So, we started by fund-raising. We raised $500 and then we went there for a week to see what it was like. We decided to come back, share the experience and try to raise awareness about it.
• How do you feel like your experiences have changed you as people?
Hannah: I guess as Americans we tend to have this perception of disabled orphans in foreign countries as people who need our help and kind of our pity, our charity. When we got there, they were a lot like normal kids, they had the same kind of goals and dreams and it was great to work with them and see what their lives were really like. We thought that the strength of these kids was really inspiring.
Kelly: Also, now when I’m talking to someone, especially my family, I am consciously thinking about the fact that I have these family and friends and that I am building a relationship with them. I’m just aware that I have a relationship dynamic with my parents and it just makes me appreciate what we have so much more.
• What would you say was the most rewarding part about your trip?
Hannah: I guess every time the kids smiled at us, that would just always give me a thrill inside because it was just amazing to see their strength and happiness.
I guess the most rewarding moment for me was with this 6-year-old boy named Toby who was tied down to his bed because he had a form of autism that causes him to harm himself. When we first went to see him, we just started crying because it looked really sad. We sang to him for two hours on the first day. The next day, we back and sang to him more, and he smiled at us. It was really great because he has the sweetest smile and I guess you don’t really get to see it often. I think that was just the most rewarding for me.
• What are you guys planning to do now that you’re back?
Hannah and Kelly: Shepherd’s Field is building a vocational center on their 6-acre campus to provide a home for these orphans and to give them training and skills for a job so that they can become happy, functional members of society. Unfortunately, due to insufficient funding, they had to pause construction until they raise the $100,000 needed to restart. We’ve started a fund-raiser for this, which you can check out at www.crowdrise/com/sfc.
Would you want to go back and relive the experience a second time?
Hannah: We’re going to. And hopefully a third!
Christina Dias is a 14-year-old Redmond resident who is a poet and blogger. Her blog, Merry Go Round, can be found at christina-merry-go-round.blogspot.com.
