Thin & High’s Volunteer Teaching Summer Camp at Kuangou Elementary School in

1. Thin & High’s Volunteer Teaching Summer Camp at Kuangou Elementary School in China’s Gansu Province August 2012

2. Kuangou Elementary School is located in one of the poorest villages in Jingtai County of Gansu, one of China’s least developed provinces. It was set up in 1777 and slated for closure by 2014.

3. Kuangou was once a bustling commercial town along the Silk Road,

4. But living and ecological conditions had worsened, and many have moved away.

5. Only young children and the elderly are left in the village.

6. Most of the children are looked after by grandparents and relatives.

7. Their parents are migrants working elsewhere in China.

8. Some children never knew or seldom saw their parents. Some of their parents were divorced, and a few children's mothers had ran away from the village, as they were kidnapped brides. A few children are orphans.

9. Villagers grow subsistence crops and keep livestock for basic survival.

10. The villagers have been relying on the ancient wells for centuries. Underground water resources still have not been deployed to enhance the quality of their life.

11. In addition to the harsh natural landscape and the lack of natural resources, especially water, educational resources are also in severely short supply.

12. Only language and mathematics classes are offered; students do not have any extracurricular lessons in music, arts and physical education.

13. To enrich the educational experience of the destitute children, Thin & High organized a free 2-week summer camp for them in 2012.

14. The volunteer teachers were undergraduates from universities all across China. Students from neighboring villages also participated in the camp.

15. Setting off

16. Ensuring enough food, equipment and supplies

17. The rustic view along the way

18. Arriving at Kuangou Elementary School

19. Unpacking and settling down

20. Makeshift sleeping quartersfor the volunteer teachers

21. Washing up and preparing meals

22. Water for drinking and cooking comes from a nearby well

23. The opening ceremony attended by local officials, with Thin & High founder Bernard Yang delivering a speech.

24. Initially shy and apprehensive … but hey, children will always be children!

25. “Getting to know you, getting to know all about you …”

26. Students were 5 to 12 years old

27. Learning the ancient classical texts

28. Arts, crafts, and calligraphy classes

29. Storytelling and games galore

30. Team sports

31. Trying out racket games for the first time. Age is no barrier!

33. Showing them the ropes

34. Learning martial arts and the art of self-defense

35. Enjoying their first campfire

36. Learning to fly a kite

37. Flying their very own paper planes, which carry their soaring hopes, dreams and ambitions.

38. Home visits

39. 10-year old Wang Yufeng and her 9-year old sister Wang Yuzhen had not seen their parents for 8 years. Their parents had packed up their bags one day to find work in the cities and never returned.

40. Yufeng only remembers the birthmark on her father’s hand, while Yuzhen has no memories whatsoever. Their grandparents are struggling to raise them as best as they can.

41. The children saw the volunteer teachers as their friends and even confidantes…

42. Instilling in them the belief that there is a world out there to explore,

43. Bringing them hopes and dreams of a better life,

44. And giving them encouragement to strive for a brighter future.

45. Join Thin & High to help the underprivileged www.thinandhigh.org