Yangtze River Headwaters Volunteering Day 0 长江源志愿工作第0天

This is a series of journals recording my days in the Yangtze River Headwaters volunteering project. I will try to update every day but there might be delays in the days I work in the wild without the internet. I’m also trying to write bilingual if time allows. Like it? Follow my Instagram (@anar.chica.yichenguo) for updates!
这是我参与长江源志愿工作的一系列记录。我争取每日更新，但在野外工作没有网络的那些日子会有延迟。在时间允许的情况下，也会尽量使用中英双语。喜欢的话，关注我的Ins账号(@anar.chica.yichenguo)获取更新吧！

Right now I’m on my way to another one-month volunteering program starting on 1st July 2020. This time in my own country, China, at Tsinghai-Tibet plateau where the altitude of my base camp will be over 4,700m. 

When I talk to people about volunteering, often I get a reaction that volunteering is for those who are rich or that they do not have living pressure. Well… I’m not rich and I’ve never thought it that way. For me, it’s slowly becoming a part of my life.

I met Teddy many years ago in Shanghai through our mutual friend Shasha. He is a French architect who used to work in Shanghai. At that time, he went to Africa to volunteer for one month every year, helping poor areas to build schools and hospitals. The month before is usually his busiest time. His boss well understood and supported his volunteering work, but he has to finish his work before his trips. After continuously volunteering for several years, Teddy has now been working for the International Red Cross for three years already in different countries including, for example, Iraq, Congo, etc. I haven’t told him yet that his volunteering experience is one of the important road signs that guided my road to endeavoring to be a useful person to our planet. 

You see, you don’t necessarily need to quit earning money to volunteer. Plus everyone has annual holidays if working at a firm. Why not volunteering instead of pure traveling? It is much more meaningful and memorable, and you can learn much more in-depth about local culture. And normally, it is actually more economical than a regular trip.

Volunteering is one of the most direct ways to decrease inequality and indeed ‘make the world a better place’ with our own hands, no matter it’s about inequality, racism, environmental issues, or education and medical treatment.

I look forward to July of the magical 2020.

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我又踏上了征途，2020年7月1日，开始为期一个月的志愿者项目。这一次在国内，在青藏高原海拔超过4700 米的地方。

当我和许多人谈到志愿工作时，我常常会得到一种反应：都是有钱人或者至少是没有生活压力的人才去做志愿者。嗯……我不是有钱人，我也从来没这么看待过志愿工作。对我来说，志愿工作正渐渐地成为我生活的一部分。

许多年前，我在上海通过共同的朋友莎莎认识了Teddy。他是一个曾在上海工作的法国建筑师。那时候，他每年都有一个月的时间在非洲做志愿者，帮助贫困地区建学校、建医院。在那之前的一个月往往就是他工作最忙的时候。他的老板很理解并支持他的志愿工作，但他必须在出发前完成全部的任务。这样连续几年的志愿工作后，Teddy正式加入了国际红十字会并已在不同的国家（包括伊拉克、刚果等）全职工作了三年。我还未告诉他，在我努力成为对我们的星球有用的人的道路上，他的志愿经历曾是一个重要的路标。

你看，做志愿工作并不一定意味着不去赚钱。更何况只要是在公司工作的人一般都有年假。为什么不用志愿工作代替普通的旅行呢？志愿工作会带给你更有意义更加难忘的经历，你也可以更深入地了解当地的文化。而且通常来说会比一般的旅游更经济。

志愿工作，无论是关于贫富差距、种族歧视、环境问题，还是教育、医疗，都可以让我们最直接地用自己的双手减小不平等并真正地“让这个世界更加美好”。

期待魔幻2020的七月。

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