“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
“我對現在所擁有的富裕生活是充滿感激，還是覺得這些都是理所當然呢？”這是 自從回到中國探訪了那些被ACCEF所資助的學生後，我一遍遍問自己的問題。我們居住在美國的人擁有那麽多的東西，有房子，有汽車和很多的奢侈品。但我們還是不滿足，依然希望得到更多更多。一個新款的IPod出現在市場上，我們會禁不住的去買它盡管老的那款還是很好用。我們都同樣有一個艱辛的開端，為了我們的財富努力地工作著，但我們所生活著的社會又給我們壓力讓我們處在一個不斷更新和消費的循環中，以至於我們忘記花點時間回頭去看看，去比較我們現在所擁有的和世界其他地區的人們所得到的。不幸的是，像我一樣生活在美國的孩子們都被我們現在所擁有的東西和優越的生活條件寵壞了。我們完全無視世界上其他地方的孩子是多麽地需要幫助，因為我們把我們所擁有的東西當做是理所應當的，而沒有為我們能得到保暖的衣物、居住的房屋和愛我們的父母而感到感激和滿足。相反地，我們變得隻關心物質享受和財富而忘卻了關心他人。
我的行程開始於安徽省的一個縣——霍邱。這次旅行至少可以說是讓我大開眼界。這個縣有一個小縣城，但是被捐助學生來自的農業區域還是占主導地位。雖然我暫住在縣城但我還是得去農村去看望那些學生。盡管農村離縣城也就幾英裏遠，但那裏並沒有我所熟悉的一切奢侈品。那裏僅有的水源是來自於自己打的水井，因為那裏沒有自來水係統而且廁所僅僅隻是在地上挖出來的大洞。任何一個很在乎衛生和幹淨的人都將會很難去適應它。房子非常的簡單而且離美學的角度相差甚遠。房間裏隻能容納下一些數量很少的生活必須品。他們也沒有像我們那樣有許多的鞋子或裝滿各種衣服的櫥櫃。那裏隻有零星的道路通往農村，不僅如此，那些道路都還是崎嶇不平、沒有鋪設柏油的土路。人們更別提什麽私家汽車，隻能通過騎自行車到別的地方。 這些年盡管我已經回過中國好幾次了，但看到人們生活在這樣的條件下依然感到很震撼。我不能幫到什麽，隻能感激我現在所擁有的一切。然而在這樣的生存環境下，那些學生卻成長得非常快，因為他們不得不過早地去挑起照顧家庭的重擔。他們的談吐非常成熟而且習慣地去尊重別人。他們當中的許多人不得不在暑假幫助父母去忙農活、賣糧食。他們真的是沒有什麽休假去享受，但那些孩子並沒有抱怨，反而把歡樂的氣氛帶到他們到過的每一處。雖然他們在這種環境下不得不過早地成熟而像個成年人，但他們真正地學到了一堂非常有價值的課—感激他們現在所擁有的並且要想成功隻有通過不懈的努力！
由於他們都比較害羞，我很難和他們有所溝通。但我真的看到他們臉上所洋溢的那種對那些幫助過、給他們一個成功機會的未謀麵的捐助者的感激之情。那些孩子知道這些禮物不是天天會在他們生活中得到的，他們必須讓這些付出有所收獲。遺憾的是，盡管捐助者們沒有什麽機會去與那些學生麵對麵的溝通和交流，但他們對那些學生的影響是巨大的。每一次會麵中，我都會向每一個有機會交談的學生了解他們未來有什麽想要實現的，他們都會回答希望以後能有機會去幫助其他需要幫助的人。他們把幫助過他們的捐助者視為自己的榜樣並希望去效仿他們的善舉。所以到最後，資助一個孩子變得更加有意義，它不隻是提供一些經濟上的援助給那些需要幫助的人去改善他們的處境，而且是影響了他們的人生價值觀和理想。這遠遠地比隻是金錢上的幫助更為重要和有效。 讓我們不要浪費這些機會去幫助那些不僅來自不同國家而且還生活在我們生活中的人們吧！如果我們地球上的每一個人都能關心幫助身邊的人，難道我們不能創造一個歡樂的、沒有戰爭和貧窮的世界嗎？
唐陽陽 譯
