Volunteers promote 'Healthy Hands, Healthy Mouths and Healthy Hearts' at Migrant School

When planning our trip to China, we wanted to do something to interact
with the people in a dimension other than as a tourist.  Since we do
not speak Chinese, we were not sure if this would be possible.  The
Beijing Buddies Program through the Migrant Children's Foundation made
it very easy for us to accomplish our goal!

There were three of us.  I am in my 60's and my friend in her 50's are
both nurses.  Our other traveling companion was my daughter.  We
emailed to Helen, MCF's founder and director, our plan for a morning
presentation on Healthy Hands, Healthy Mouths and Healthy Hearts.
Helen set up the school we would go to and the ages and number of
students who would be in our class (ages 9-10 and 30 students).  Helen
also provided a translator and extra volunteers to help with the
class.  Then we went to work planning our talk.

We had the kids feel their pulse and we brought stethoscopes so the
kids could listen to their heart rates and we had them run in place to
increase their pulse and then had them feel their pulse again.  We
demonstrated how to brush and floss their teeth and we brought
toothbrushes and toothpaste and floss for each student and we had hand
sanitized for each child.  As we did these tasks we put the words in
English on the blackboard and had the kids say each word.  (teeth,
toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, heart, face, wash, hands, etc)

The best thing about the class was the kids.  They were so eager to
learn.  You could see the excitement in their eyes.  Then with the
help of the other volunteers, we had the kids make sentences using the
new words - "I brush my teeth." - for example.  Each child took a turn
and with gentle coaxing from an architect from the UK and a yoga
instructor from the UK,  even the shy children gave a sentence in
English!  At the end of the class, a teacher from the Philippines led
all the children in the song -- Here we go round the mulberry
bush...This is the way we wash our hands.....etc.etc.

It was such a wonderful experience. The natural collaboration of all
the volunteers came together so easily because everyone was there for
the same reason.  We all had so much fun. I wished I could stay in
Beijing longer so I could do it again! As I remember all the wondrous
sites I saw in China, I will never forget the best one of all -- the
smiles on the kids faces!

Patty McGuire - age 62
Beijing Buddies Volunteer
October, 2011