Therefore, in addition to preparing breakfast for everyone, Grandma Ke and her mother also provided them with a lot of lunch to take with them.
Ke Meiyu and Qin Yuanjiu, dressed in casual clothes that allowed them to move around easily, rode their bicycles to school with their bags on their backs.
The president of the volunteer association turned out to be a graduate student in the sociology department of the university. He and a few classmates founded the club when they were freshmen, originally for better learning and research, but they never expected it to develop to this point.
"Good morning, everyone. Welcome to our newest members and to our first club activity of the semester." The president pushed up his glasses and said with a smile, "Our club is relatively new, and it started because of me and my classmates for learning and research."
"But gradually, the community has also developed a unique culture and tradition, which is a way for us to give back to and serve the community."
"Our activities are also very diverse. We hold an event every weekend. As long as everyone attends more than twice a month, it will be considered full attendance, and you will receive an extra credit at the end of the semester."
"Don't underestimate this one credit. It could give you a slight advantage over others when choosing a job after graduation. Moreover, our activities will greatly enhance your personal abilities and also provide opportunities to appear in the news..."
The president emphasized the importance of the event for about ten minutes before announcing the details of the event.
They were going to visit several orphanages in the provincial capital with two goals: one was to spend time with the children and teach them some knowledge, and the other was to see if they could improve the children's living conditions.
Each member wore a red vest printed with the logo of the University of Science and Technology Volunteer Association and a small red hat.
There are school buses at the university, but you have to arrange the round trip in advance. Usually, on weekends, the school bus drivers work non-stop and don't have time to rest all day.
The orphanage that Ke Meiyu and Qin Yuanjiu went to was not far from the south of the city, about a 20-minute drive away. It used to be a landlord's mansion, which was abandoned and then slightly renovated to become an orphanage.
Along the way, the team leader explained the information about orphanages to them. Every year, they organize everyone to visit orphanages and nursing homes to provide services.
Although these institutions receive organizational funding, the number of people in the institutions increases every year, and the needs of children and the elderly are quite extensive, so everyone is struggling to make ends meet.
Since the beginning of its activities, the association has been trying to solve this problem at its root and to gain attention from all sectors of society.
However, they were few in number and weak in strength. Every time they brought reporters from the newspaper, they could only make a tiny splash, which would fall into the lake and disappear without a trace.
As soon as the car entered the yard, a group of children surrounded it, standing on tiptoe and reaching out for food through the car window.
Everyone knew in advance that they were coming to the orphanage, so they all brought some food with them.
The team members couldn't bear to see the children so dirty, dark, and thin, so they emptied their pockets before they even got off the bus.
Then the children were chased away by the late-arriving director.
“The children are having a hard time, they don’t taste any sweetness all year round, I’m sorry to have made the students laugh at us,” a slightly plump, fair-skinned, and kind woman stepped forward and warmly invited everyone to come inside.
As she walked, she introduced the orphanage to everyone: "Our orphanage has been around since the establishment of Xinxiahua. We have moved to several places, and the number of children has increased year by year. We only settled here five years ago."
"This courtyard belonged to a wealthy landlord and was quite dilapidated at the time. The leaders approved funds to rebuild it, and it can now accommodate many children. However, with so many children, there were expenses for food, clothing, schooling, and medicine when they were sick. No matter how much money the organization allocated, it was like filling a bottomless pit."
“Sometimes when the facility is short of funds, we can’t even pay the staff’s salaries. It’s been delayed again and again. And the unwanted children are very difficult to manage; they’re incredibly mischievous. The staff who have stayed until now are all old folks like me. Young people wouldn’t come here…”
Although the orphanage was large, withered grass sprouted from the cracks in the bricks, reaching half a person's height. The children, laughing and running around, were dressed in thin clothes, and their little faces and hands were not only dirty but also covered with red and swollen chilblains.
They slept in a large communal bed, and the bedding had been used for who knows how many years; it was dirty, hard, and thin.
Ke Meiyu, with her sharp eyes, spotted the frantically throbbing fleas, a sight that sent chills down her spine...
There weren't many good wooden tables and chairs. They were cooking in the canteen. They ate two meals a day: clear rice porridge and dark cornbread, with some potatoes and cabbage.
After walking around, they didn't see many staff members.
The team leader began assigning tasks: some weeded, some washed clothes and bed sheets and aired out bedding, some helped with cooking, and some accompanied the children to study and play.
Once we're less busy, we can discuss how to improve the children's quality of life.
Ke Meiyu pursed her lips and frowned slightly.
The headmaster smiled sheepishly and said, “Students, you don’t need to bother. The grass grows quickly, and the yard is big enough. We old folks can just gather a few handfuls each day. We’ll take turns washing the clothes and bedding when we have time. We do want the children to be clean, but washing too much will damage the clothes and bedding. We also need to boil water for bathing and washing hair, and we don’t have that much wood or coal…”
Before she could finish speaking, the group leader solemnly turned to the group members and said, "I know some of you come from well-off families and have never experienced such hardship and poverty. If you can't stand the filth and mess, then you should leave now. The driver hasn't started the car yet."
"If you are truly committed to serving society, then discard all your prejudices and disdain! From now on, all our activities will be dedicated to serving society. We will go to any place, and we will not accommodate any of you."
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