“Am I appreciative of the things I have or am I taking for granted the luxuries in my life?” That is the one question that I have gotten to ask myself more and more after my visit to China to talk and meet with a few of the ACCEF sponsored students. With so many of us in America, we have it all, the house, the car, the luxuries, and yet, we still want more and more. A new model of iPod comes out on the market and we buy it even though our old one is still in perfect working condition. We all camefrom humble beginnings and have worked hard for our wealth but the society that we live in have pressured us into a cycle of constantly upgrading and consuming that we forget to take a moment to look back and see just how much we really have compared to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, children living in America, like me, are spoiled by all that we have and the living conditions that we enjoy. We are completely blinded to just how much help children in other parts of the world are in need because we take for granted what we have instead of appreciating the clothes that keep us warm, the house that protects us, and the parents that love us. We have become a people focused on materials and wealth instead of on the lives of other human beings.
My journey started in the small city of HuoQiu in the province of Anhui and it was an eye-opening experience to say the least. The town had a small city center but is still predominantly a farming region where the sponsored students were from. I lived in the city center but went to the countryside to visit the students. Although the countryside was only a few miles from the city center, it had none of the luxuries that I had grown accustomed to. The only available water came from a ground well as there was no running water system and bathrooms were merely big holes in the ground. Anyone who cares about hygiene and cleanliness would have a hard time adjusting. Houses were simple and far from being aesthetically pleasing. They contained only what was necessary and in minimum amounts. They didn’t have the multiple pairs of shoes or closet full of clothes like we have become accustomed to. There were only a couple roads that ran through the countryside and even those were bumpy and unpaved. People did not have personal cars and had to travel everywhere on bikes. Although I’ve gone back to China a few times over the years, it’s still a shock to see people living in such conditions and I can’t help but feel appreciative for all that I have. However, through such a lifestyle, these students have matured much faster because they have to learn to help around the house and be able to take on many responsibilities at a young age. Their speech is mature and they behave with respect to others. For many of them during summer break, they have to help their parents with farming and selling crops. There really is no rest for these students and yet they never complain and carry a happy demeanor everywhere they go. Although they have been forced to grow up quickly to be adults through their environment, they have really learned a valuable lesson to be appreciative of the things they have and that only through hard work can they succeed
It was hard to talk to them at times because they were very shy but I can really see the feelings of gratitude written on their face for their sponsors whom they’ve never met but who want to give them an opportunity to succeed by supporting them through school. They realize these gifts don’t come often in their lives and understand the need to make the most of what they receive. Unfortunately, the sponsors do not get a chance to interact with the students personally, but, the effect they have on them is tremendous. Every one of them that I’ve gotten a chance to talk to about what they hope to accomplish in their future want to have an opportunity to help those who are in need because they share in that struggle. They look to their sponsors as role models and people they hope to emulate in action. So, in the end, sponsoring a kid can become so much more meaningful than just providing financial assistance to someone in need. It will change more than just their situation but their value and ideals as people, which is so much more important than just the monetary aspect. Let us not waste our opportunities to help not just those who are in different countries but also those very people who are living in our lives. If every one of us on this earth of ours could care and help the person next to us, wouldn’t that create a world so much more enjoyable to live in without the wars and poverty that have stricken our current state?
Yi Bu
“我对现在所拥有的富裕生活是充满感激，还是觉得这些都是理所当然呢？”这是 自从回到中国探访了那些被ACCEF所资助的学生后，我一遍遍问自己的问题。我们居住在美国的人拥有那么多的东西，有房子，有汽车和很多的奢侈品。但我们还是不满足，依然希望得到更多更多。一个新款的IPod出现在市场上，我们会禁不住的去买它尽管老的那款还是很好用。我们都同样有一个艰辛的开端，为了我们的财富努力地工作着，但我们所生活着的社会又给我们压力让我们处在一个不断更新和消费的循环中，以至于我们忘记花点时间回头去看看，去比较我们现在所拥有的和世界其他地区的人们所得到的。不幸的是，像我一样生活在美国的孩子们都被我们现在所拥有的东西和优越的生活条件宠坏了。我们完全无视世界上其他地方的孩子是多么地需要帮助，因为我们把我们所拥有的东西当做是理所应当的，而没有为我们能得到保暖的衣物、居住的房屋和爱我们的父母而感到感激和满足。相反地，我们变得只关心物质享受和财富而忘却了关心他人。
我的行程开始于安徽省的一个县——霍邱。这次旅行至少可以说是让我大开眼界。这个县有一个小县城，但是被捐助学生来自的农业区域还是占主导地位。虽然我暂住在县城但我还是得去农村去看望那些学生。尽管农村离县城也就几英里远，但那里并没有我所熟悉的一切奢侈品。那里仅有的水源是来自于自己打的水井，因为那里没有自来水系统而且厕所仅仅只是在地上挖出来的大洞。任何一个很在乎卫生和干净的人都将会很难去适应它。房子非常的简单而且离美学的角度相差甚远。房间里只能容纳下一些数量很少的生活必须品。他们也没有像我们那样有许多的鞋子或装满各种衣服的橱柜。那里只有零星的道路通往农村，不仅如此，那些道路都还是崎岖不平、没有铺设柏油的土路。人们更别提什么私家汽车，只能通过骑自行车到别的地方。 这些年尽管我已经回过中国好几次了，但看到人们生活在这样的条件下依然感到很震撼。我不能帮到什么，只能感激我现在所拥有的一切。然而在这样的生存环境下，那些学生却成长得非常快，因为他们不得不过早地去挑起照顾家庭的重担。他们的谈吐非常成熟而且习惯地去尊重别人。他们当中的许多人不得不在暑假帮助父母去忙农活、卖粮食。他们真的是没有什么休假去享受，但那些孩子并没有抱怨，反而把欢乐的气氛带到他们到过的每一处。虽然他们在这种环境下不得不过早地成熟而像个成年人，但他们真正地学到了一堂非常有价值的课—感激他们现在所拥有的并且要想成功只有通过不懈的努力！
由于他们都比较害羞，我很难和他们有所沟通。但我真的看到他们脸上所洋溢的那种对那些帮助过、给他们一个成功机会的未谋面的捐助者的感激之情。那些孩子知道这些礼物不是天天会在他们生活中得到的，他们必须让这些付出有所收获。遗憾的是，尽管捐助者们没有什么机会去与那些学生面对面的沟通和交流，但他们对那些学生的影响是巨大的。每一次会面中，我都会向每一个有机会交谈的学生了解他们未来有什么想要实现的，他们都会回答希望以后能有机会去帮助其他需要帮助的人。他们把帮助过他们的捐助者视为自己的榜样并希望去效仿他们的善举。所以到最后，资助一个孩子变得更加有意义，它不只是提供一些经济上的援助给那些需要帮助的人去改善他们的处境，而且是影响了他们的人生价值观和理想。这远远地比只是金钱上的帮助更为重要和有效。 让我们不要浪费这些机会去帮助那些不仅来自不同国家而且还生活在我们生活中的人们吧！如果我们地球上的每一个人都能关心帮助身边的人，难道我们不能创造一个欢乐的、没有战争和贫穷的世界吗？
唐阳阳 译
