Moria Jean Laidlaw, born into an affluent British family, once thought every human being is born equal -- with textbooks, schools and knowledge. A volunteer stint in impoverished, rural western China has enabled her to know the true value of education.
In 2001, 46-year old Laidlaw, dispatched by the International Voluntary Service Organization, arrived at the Guyuan Normal College in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Her destination, Guyuan, is known throughout the country for its abject poverty.
"Until then I did not know there exists the inequality caused by poverty and geography in this world," said Laidlaw.
Warmly welcomed by crowds of local people nearby, surrounded by young people with ardent desire to learn, Laidlaw was deeply moved.
"People there are poor in money but rich in mind, as they share the strong consciousness of the importance of knowledge, and firm readiness to contact with outside," she said.
But lack of water and hygiene took a toll on Laidlaw's health. Far away from her hometown, she became seriously ill. Bedridden, the simple but warm, kind-hearted locals took care of her carefully.
"They treated me and looked after me as if I was one of their family members, which made me feel I am not alone at all," she added.
From the time she recovered, teaching to Laidlaw was not only a volunteer job, but a holy responsibility. Beginning three years ago, she has undertaken courses on teaching methods for English language learning, British and American literature and spoken English. She accomplished 1,860 hours for courses and 360 hours for teachers' training, far exceeding 1,400 working hours required in voluntary service.
Having neither weekend nor cocktail, Laidlaw believed she did not "come here for Western standards." Instead, she found a very harmonious way to go along with her Chinese colleagues and students.
In her spare time, she went to visit village schools deep into the outlying mountains, there she saw children trekking two hours to school everyday. She also met and talked to some teachers who are so dedicated to their work despite classrooms with dilapidated roofs.
What she will never forget are the sad eyes swelling in tears of those kids who yearned for learning but had to quit schools since their parents could not afford it. And what cheered her up are more and more new classrooms are built with the financial support by the government and local people.
"They are so determined to transform and build up their hometown through education that I believe any miracle could work on this wonderland," Laidlaw said.
Last October, Laidlaw with her British colleagues succeeded to build the China Foreign Language Action Research Center. This center, making research on interactive teaching methods in English classes, will give every individual a specific way to learn English.
"In this field, Guyuan has overtaken any city of developed area in China," Laidlaw said with pride.
On Oct. 1, China celebrated her 55th founding anniversary. On the eve of this special Chinese festival, Laidlaw received the 2004 Friendship Award from the Chinese government, the supreme honor for a foreigner working in China.
"Here I got to know the iron-like family ties of the Chinese people, and inspired by the local people's spirit of always working for a better and brighter tomorrow," Laidlaw said.
(Xinhua News Agency October 2, 2004)
