Summer Time in the City

Summer holiday is coming! How will you enjoy the days with your kids? Are you going to bring them to Children’s Park, send them to a summer camp or after school classes? It becomes a tricky task for parents.

Unlike other communities, here in Nanjiao community, Liwan District of Guangzhou, a lot of young parents are migrant workers. Most of them take their children to Nanjiao, while some leave their children at hometown because they are either too the busy or cannot afford the high costs of education and living in the city. Educated and taken cared by grandparents, these children will travel to the city to seek and enjoy the precious family time with parents when summer holiday comes. However, even at the same place, parents are still too busy to accompany the kids every day.

Xiaoqingmiao (also known as Little Green Sprout Center) became a good place for the parents to settle their children during these special time. Social workers there have hosted various kinds of activities to enrich the long summer break, children can learn to twist balloon, play Ukulele, make hairpin, do science experiment, etc. Additionally, they can have fun with their parents like go to the zoo or learn cooking from their mothers, which creates a family moment for the parents and children.

Juanjuan participated in a handcraft class and learnt how to make hairpins

Juanjuan participated in a Science Lab activity
 

Juanjuan is a girl from Pingnan County, Guangxi Province. Her parents drive electric motorcycle for living. Since 2014, her parents picked her to Guangzhou for summer break every year. Juanjuan thought it might be a boring holiday when she first came, until her arriving at Xiaoqingmiao center.

In child safety class and handcraft workshop, Juanjuan got to make new friends and become more actively toke part in all the activities. In the summer camp closing ceremony, she not only became a volunteer, but also played a role in the drama “The Emperor's New Clothes”. Although not too many lines she had, it was really a big step forward for the shy girl. Before she went back to her hometown, she even wrote a letter to social workers in Xiaoqingmiao to show her gratitude and appreciation. As a super fan of Xiaoqingmiao, how will Juanjuan spend her summer holiday in Xiaoqingmiao this year?

Juanjuan was a volunteer in the summer camp closing ceremon

Juanjuan played a role in the drama “The Emperor's New Clothes

She wrote a thank you letter to social workers in Xiaoqingmiao
 

This summer, Xiaoqingmiao will keep providing children with wonderful activities, including a project called Little Talented Tutors. The project encourages children who had taken trainings already in the center to teach their fresh fellows like Juanjuan skills, like playing Ukulele and making handcraft. 8 of the 16 interest classes launched in this summer will be guided by little tutors. Children can therefore learn from each other and know the meaning of sharing.

Xiaoqingmiao is supported and held by World Vision, local government and social work organization. Since November 2013, Xiaoqingmiao has provided Nanjiao community with services in 4 aspects including child protection, education improvements, new community adjustment and community charity enhancement. By October 2015, more than 12,000 people are benefited. Based on the effects of Xiaoqingmiao, Nanjiao community was awarded with the honor of Model Children Friendly Community in Guangdong Province.

（Written by Chancy Chan）