Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher. - Japanese proverb
A great teacher is the most exquisite gift one can get for leading us to a different future. The point is especially important to the students in underprivileged areas in Vietnam and Laos. Eden Social Welfare Foundation appreciates the effort from the teachers fighting with us for the better education in these areas.
According to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Report 2017, in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia, children from the richest 20 percent of households achieved greater proficiency in reading at the end of their primary and lower secondary education than children from the poorest 20 percent of households. The report also pointed out that the lack of trained teachers and the poor condition of schools in many parts of the world are jeopardizing prospects for quality education for all.
By have the perceptive, Eden started cooperating with Chinese Cultural University and recruiting interns and offering Mandarin programs in Vinh Long Province and Ho Chi Ming city in Vietnam. Teaching in foreign countries also means a great deal of cultural adjustment and training. Linda Huang, one of the interns in 2017 shared with us after the program, “We applied a traditional teaching method on local children in the beginning, which turned out to be ineffective. Students lose their attention and concentration were falling dramatically, after revising the lessons we realized that drawing can keep them focused, and the result was great!”
With observation and revision, Linda’s intention was well received by the students. On the last day of teaching, a couple of elderly sisters gave her a handmade beaded bracelet as a farewell gift, with a thank-you letter wishing her best luck and hoping to meet her again someday! The program really touched students’ heart, enlightened and fulfilled them in the end. Linda learned the philosophy of “givers gain” during her services in Vietnam, although the work of development is strenuous and demanding, but the warmth expressed during the process is really precious and can’t be found in other fields.
On this special day, we thank all the teachers for the efforts and contribution in the field, wish you a happy teachers’ day!
