“Dolls dancing with little bears, dancing, dancing, 1,2,1…”

“Ping, ping, pang, pang, ping, ping, pang, forming war zones on rectangular tables…”

On the afternoon of 11 April, inside an elementary school in Shangshui County of Henan Province, there were continuous songs and cheers accompanied by joyous matches of table-tennis training.  The “Shangshui County’s psychological support for children affected by AIDS” was conducted by the Henan Golden Sunshine Children Cooperation (Care) Association funded through the third round of China’s Global Fund’s AIDS Project.  The members of the Golden Sunshine Choir and table tennis team were participating in this first activity held.

Henan Golden Sunshine is a grassroots organization focusing on carrying out psychological support for children affected by HIV/AIDS.  The inclusion of music and sports education into the content of helping children affected by HIV/AIDS was inspired by Mr Humphrey Wou.  We believe that music helps sooth the children’s souls while sports exercises train the children’s minds.  As such, the Golden Sunshine Choir and table-tennis team were born.

We invited four experienced music and sports volunteers to train with the children, that day.  The music volunteers discussed the meaning and charm of music.  They gave the children their first music lesson teaching them basic singing techniques.  The table-tennis volunteers taught the children basic skills to play table-tennis and briefed them on the rules of a table-tennis match.  They even had a small-scaled table-tennis match with the children.  Lastly, the volunteers brought some children’s books, including the book “Sunflower,” and some stationery, for the children.

The teachers and students welcomed and enjoyed the Golden Sunshine activity with the school providing various support and the children participating enthusiastically.  At the end of the day, when the volunteers had to leave, the children were reluctant to say goodbye and asked: “Will you come back on the first of June?”  The volunteers had just left the school when the children called and said: “We regret that we forgot to hug you all earlier!”

According to the project plan, Golden Sunshine will provide one year’s support to the choir and table-tennis team.  There are plans to hold choir competitions and parent-child table-tennis matches, when suitable.  Through these and more activities, we hope to be able to improve the children’s lives and their learning environment.  We hope this will enable them to live happily.

As part of the children’s support, Golden Sunshine held “Psychological support training for parents of children affected by AIDS” on the same afternoon.  We invited a child psychology expert to talk about some basic knowledge of child psychology and basic techniques for educating children at home, which received good response.  Parents appraised that such training is close to daily life, down-to-earth and practical.  It helped to correct some of the education ideas that they took for granted, but were wrong.  It helped them understand their children better, build confidence and become more resourceful when educating their children.

Lastly, under the support of Zhejiang University City College, we have selected a few local poor families with children affected by HIV/AIDS.  The undergraduate volunteers from the Zhejiang University will carry out one-to-one economic aid and an additional pen pal outreach project.  This will allow the children to receive long-term emotional support and comfort.

Here, we extend our special thanks to:

• the support of the Third Round of Global Fund, thank you for giving us a chance to be involved;
• the strong support of Shangshui Women’s Federation, Health Department, local elementary school and grassroots organizations for the infected persons, without all your help, our project could not be carried out;
• the hard work and contributions of the experts and volunteers, you have given your precious compassion, time and wisdom;
• thanks to Beijing Love’s Source, who contributed the children’s book “Sunflower.” It is the best present for the children;
• thanks to the Zhejiang University’s volunteers, although you are far from the children, your compassion continues to warm and encourage the children;
• thanks to all who have helped Golden Sunshine and the compassionate people who have helped the children, your hands have pushed Golden Sunshine to progress and the children to grow.

Translated by Sock Sim Koh

Edited by Natasha Holt