Giving back to your community is never easy, and this is particularly true when you are living in a foreign country. There has been a lack of volunteer programs in Shenzhen, particularly for foreigners. That is why Bruno Schuyten started the H.O.P.E program with the Shenzhen local organizations together, which stands for "Help One Person Everyday". It is a great way to help others and make new friends. The program aims to give back to the local community, set up businesses, as well as building a stronger connection between locals and foreigners living in Shenzhen.
The program has three weekly events, which includes English classes on Mondays and Tuesdays from 12:45 to 13:45, a Chinese corner on Tuesday evenings from 19:00 to 20:00 and a cultural exchange on Fridays from 12:45 to 13:45. The program also has special events every Saturday, the last of which included a cleanup of Nanshan mountain on July 13th.
Future events that are planned include meeting with local service centers for discussions, an introduction to all natural solutions do- it-yourself, and going to local hospitals to volunteer. The program will also be offering free translations for community service centers involved with foreigners, opportunities for foreigners to share stories and information about their home countries with locals. In order to help you recover from all of that hard work, tea, coffee and beer brewing (酿造) classes are planned as well.
If you have volunteering ideas of your own about how to make our shared community better, or just want to get involved, you can follow the H.OP.E programs official WeChat account (账号). Come and join us!
