“They need more!” said Jonathan. “And we will do our best to give them more,” said Ms Tinubu.

As Junior School Council reconvened after their visit at the Jingcai Migrant School in Tongzhou District of Beijing, members reflected on the inequality they had seen.

This year, StuCo is determined to help this migrant school and get the whole Junior School involved. It’s not about doing service just because StuCo is supposed to do service. It’s about recognising the need and realising that what you do will have an impact close to home. It’s about wanting to help.

During their visit at Jingcai School late in November, Student Councillors brought games to play with the migrant children. They had a good time singing, dancing, colouring and playing Twister. The most popular was a toy car track that Manav brought and donated on the spot.

Though the children seem very happy, our student councillors also made some observations. Basic stationery was at a premium. The pencils were very small, and the notebook pages were filled to the fullest. Not only that, Elizabeth remarked, “They need more blankets.”

“Looking at their faces, they are very red and dry,” added Ellie.

Indeed, the school was uncomfortably cold. Funds are desperately needed to help pay for the heating bills. The first fundraising activity was a “Christmas Jumper Day” this past Wednesday, which raised 7,000 RMB. In January, there will be a bake sale as well as a shoe box collection to gather stationery, hygiene items and toys for the children. StuCo is working enthusiastically to promote these activities.

Beyond leadership, Junior School Student Council is learning first hand why service to others matters. The cooperation with Jingcai School will be a continuous one. Let us all join this good cause and gather goodies now for the shoebox collection in January!