Deans’ Service Corps Serve in HIV/AIDS-Impacted Village in Henan Province

During the recent National Week break, 18 student members of the Deans’ Service Corps (DSC) and two staff members traveled to Zhoukou, Henan province, to spend five days helping children and families in rural villages that have been impacted by HIV and AIDS. (Photo provided by Chi Heng Foundation)

The trip was organized in partnership with the Chi Heng Foundation, an NGO that supports education and living expenses for children whose families have been deprived of health and income by HIV and AIDS. (Photo by Takumi Miyawaki, NYU AD ‘20)

On Sept 30, Mahder Teshome ‘22 and her fellow teammates spent two hours helping local families harvest peanuts and cotton. Many HIV/AIDS-affected families live in extreme poverty and rely on subsistence farming. (Photo by Takumi Miyawaki, NYU AD ‘20)

Xu You ‘22 and Dong Juncheng ‘22 presented the peanut plants they dug out of the field. For many NYU Shanghai students, it was their first exposure to the difficulty of farm work. (Photo by Takumi Miyawaki, NYU AD ‘20)

Children of the local village celebrated the National Day holiday waving China’s national flags. (Photo by Takumi Miyawaki, NYU AD ‘20)

On Sept 30, NYU Shanghai volunteers also visited a local elementary school, working with children in groups to create and perform short English plays. (Photo by Harrison Cheng).

The positivity and hospitality of local villagers deeply impressed the NYU Shanghai students. Madher Teshome ‘22 (left) and Chen Mingming ‘22 (middle) played games with school pupils outdoors during the break. (Photo by Takumi Miyawaki, NYU AD ‘20)

On Oct 2, volunteers visited a textile factory that manufactures sustainable cloth bags with children’s drawings printed on them. The workers taught students how to sew the bags. The factory, supported by the Chi Heng Foundation, has created jobs for HIV/AIDS-impacted families. (Photo by Takumi Miyawaki, NYU AD ‘20)