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March of the volunteers
By Victoria Fei |
April 25, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
"NEW Shanghainese" are getting settled in Changning District with the help of volunteers, as a lot of volunteers are doing good deeds in the district, reports Victoria Fei.
To 29-year-old computer science major Sun Bing, volunteering is his natural career.
"As long as you want to do it, then just do it," says the 2004 graduate whose interest has long been helping others.
He founded Sunflower, a registered non-governmental organization that serves "new Shanghainese" who come to Shanghai's Changning District from elsewhere in China and have stable jobs as well as city residence permits.
"My interest in serving the 'new Shanghainese' stems largely from my marriage to a girl from Hebei Province. I found that newcomers to Shanghai need a lot of practical knowledge about local policies and they also need a sense of belonging to the city," Sun says.
"'New Shanghainese' are working in various industries, devoting themselves to the city's economic development and cultural prosperity. Meanwhile, they face problems such as small social networks, work pressure and high living costs."
Sun discovered that newcomers are more likely to experience stress and emotional problems because they left their hometowns, now live on their own and lack social services.
"To help them expand their social network, we need to help them conquer language barriers first," Sun says. "To help them adapt to life in Shanghai and take the city as their second hometown, we want to help them integrate with the local community."
These days Sun and his teammates, mostly volunteers from local universities and companies, are developing a manual for "new Shanghainese" in Changning.
They compile policies and regulations concerning work and daily life, as well as information about banking, shopping, medical services, education and other resources. The manual helps newcomers get settled quickly and conveniently.
Sun has also established the Sunflower Art Troupe to help children of the "new Shanghainese" develop their artistic talents and senses.
Professional singers and artists serve as teachers and now there's a choir at Xianxia community and a dancing class in Xinhua community, says Sun.
The local government and communities have provided strong support.
Sunflower also provides career guidance and training for "new Shanghainese" who don't have much education. Foreign language training, skills development and training in daily etiquette makes them more suitable as employees.
"Shanghai has a high demand for baby sitters, housekeepers and yue sao who provide maternal and child care."
For the "new Shanghainese" with higher education, Sun's aim is to bring them out of office towers and help them socialize and connect with other people. By taking part in volunteer work, they can make friends and better integrate with the community.
Many programs
Meanwhile, many volunteer programs to improve people's lives are underway in Changning. They target senior citizens living on their own, disadvantaged children of migrant workers in low-level jobs and troubled teens in school, among others in need of assistance.
Chen Ying, secretary of Changning District's Youth League Committee, says volunteering is an effective way to promote balanced development of government, market and society - and build a harmonious society.
During the World Expo last year, Changning sent 282 volunteers to the Expo Site and 4,701 volunteers to service stations across the city. During the six-month event, the volunteers served around 1.8 million people.
In the past, volunteers were predominantly students and retired people, but that's changing. By the end of last month, Changning had 58,527 registered volunteers, including 24.6 percent students, 52.5 percent workers and 22.7 percent retired workers. Being a volunteer has become a trend.
Since last May, 447 volunteer projects have been carried out in the district. Among them, 26 percent promote good manners, 20 percent serve disadvantaged people and 14 percent focus on environmental protection.
Last year, more than 1,500 volunteers and 103 teams were honored for outstanding contributions.
"In 2011, we will continue to expand the coverage and influence of our volunteer services, conducting more activities to attract more participants," Chen said.
"We will also make it convenient for young people to register NGOs and build training and practice centers in the district."
To 29-year-old computer science major Sun Bing, volunteering is his natural career.
"As long as you want to do it, then just do it," says the 2004 graduate whose interest has long been helping others.
He founded Sunflower, a registered non-governmental organization that serves "new Shanghainese" who come to Shanghai's Changning District from elsewhere in China and have stable jobs as well as city residence permits.
"My interest in serving the 'new Shanghainese' stems largely from my marriage to a girl from Hebei Province. I found that newcomers to Shanghai need a lot of practical knowledge about local policies and they also need a sense of belonging to the city," Sun says.
"'New Shanghainese' are working in various industries, devoting themselves to the city's economic development and cultural prosperity. Meanwhile, they face problems such as small social networks, work pressure and high living costs."
Sun discovered that newcomers are more likely to experience stress and emotional problems because they left their hometowns, now live on their own and lack social services.
"To help them expand their social network, we need to help them conquer language barriers first," Sun says. "To help them adapt to life in Shanghai and take the city as their second hometown, we want to help them integrate with the local community."
These days Sun and his teammates, mostly volunteers from local universities and companies, are developing a manual for "new Shanghainese" in Changning.
They compile policies and regulations concerning work and daily life, as well as information about banking, shopping, medical services, education and other resources. The manual helps newcomers get settled quickly and conveniently.
Sun has also established the Sunflower Art Troupe to help children of the "new Shanghainese" develop their artistic talents and senses.
Professional singers and artists serve as teachers and now there's a choir at Xianxia community and a dancing class in Xinhua community, says Sun.
The local government and communities have provided strong support.
Sunflower also provides career guidance and training for "new Shanghainese" who don't have much education. Foreign language training, skills development and training in daily etiquette makes them more suitable as employees.
"Shanghai has a high demand for baby sitters, housekeepers and yue sao who provide maternal and child care."
For the "new Shanghainese" with higher education, Sun's aim is to bring them out of office towers and help them socialize and connect with other people. By taking part in volunteer work, they can make friends and better integrate with the community.
Many programs
Meanwhile, many volunteer programs to improve people's lives are underway in Changning. They target senior citizens living on their own, disadvantaged children of migrant workers in low-level jobs and troubled teens in school, among others in need of assistance.
Chen Ying, secretary of Changning District's Youth League Committee, says volunteering is an effective way to promote balanced development of government, market and society - and build a harmonious society.
During the World Expo last year, Changning sent 282 volunteers to the Expo Site and 4,701 volunteers to service stations across the city. During the six-month event, the volunteers served around 1.8 million people.
In the past, volunteers were predominantly students and retired people, but that's changing. By the end of last month, Changning had 58,527 registered volunteers, including 24.6 percent students, 52.5 percent workers and 22.7 percent retired workers. Being a volunteer has become a trend.
Since last May, 447 volunteer projects have been carried out in the district. Among them, 26 percent promote good manners, 20 percent serve disadvantaged people and 14 percent focus on environmental protection.
Last year, more than 1,500 volunteers and 103 teams were honored for outstanding contributions.
"In 2011, we will continue to expand the coverage and influence of our volunteer services, conducting more activities to attract more participants," Chen said.
"We will also make it convenient for young people to register NGOs and build training and practice centers in the district."
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