Life isn't about receiving but giving

The organizers of the Charity program pose with the students at the opening ceremony.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Our definition of success is not the amount of money in the bank account but the amount of lives we influence positively. Our success is not measured by tangible things, but the intangible such as love, alms giving, positive change, care, giving attention to others and more. Life to us isn't in receiving but in giving.

This organization was started by four committed persons, three of them from Shandong University Dr Muhammad Shahbaz (Department of Surgery), Dr Misbah ul Ferdous (Department of Cardiology), Effat un Nesa (Department of Oncology) and Muhammad Ali Akbar. In addition, we also have support from different Chinese students at the Shandong University, Dong Mengqi (Department of Chemistry), Toya (Department of Medical tourism). Though we all know our limitations, we decided to act locally as any and every such good deed by like-minded people in their locality would help mankind achieve the same. Since October 2013, we volunteered and managed to take time out of our tight schedules in the hospitals to go to the remote areas of Shandong province to teach the kids on weekends.

We went to Zibo, Taishan, Qihe.Laiwu and distributed the books among the children. The happiness and the feeling of excitement on the face of children cannot be imagined. Especially in a school in a suburb of Taishan, away from the city center, the students were excited to see foreigners. I also let the students write their wishes on piece of paper and give the papers to me. I have a bundle of wishes. Although I cannot read Chinese characters but I have asked my friends to translate those wishes for me. Knowing their wishes makes me feel the internal happiness. Although I cannot fulfill their wish but I have shown them the way to their wish by teaching them a small part.

Love, friendliness and simplicity are the feelings I felt that day when the students from the Taishan Primary school were gathered in an assembly ground I was chief guest and after the assembly and national anthem of China, the students let me study how to play drum and how to play the shuttlecock and Being a part of these activities has been an inexpressible and unforgettable experience for me. It was an amazing exchange program to learn these games in exchange to teaching them English. I hope that these students from these schools can get admission to famous colleges and universities and be successful in life.

Muhammad Shahbaz Ali is a Phd student of general surgery on CSC Scholarship, School of Medicine, Shandong University, and a research fellow at Qilu Hospital, Department of General Surgery.