Spanning a total of six days,Tianer, a sophomore at Newcastle University as well as a Shunde native，graduating from Desheng School (International)，completed distributing the first batch of health kits to Chinese students studying in Newcastle. This was done together with 21 healthcare volunteers. According to statistics, there are 2229 Chinese students in Newcastle who registered for the health kits. They then received nearly 2000 registration information, and proceeded to distribute more than 1700 health kits.

　　Adeline (middle) distributing health kits to Chinese students

"Through this activity, I felt the bright side of humanity, the power as a collective, as well as the love between my Chinese compatriots." said Tianer.

Making Donations for Motherland Thousands of Miles Away

In January 2020, Tianer had just finished her vacation and began her new term in school. When she first saw reports about COVID-19 breaking out in China, she was worried. As the chairman of CSSA Newcastle, Tianer immediately held a meeting with the management of the Association, hoping to gather the strength of the Association to contribute to the epidemic prevention work back home.

With the support and cooperation of her peers, Tianer, on behalf of CSSA Newcastle, suggested the idea of fund-raising to the local consulate and immediately received consent from them. There were positive response from other school federations as well. While planning for fund-raising activities, Tianer and the members of CSSA Newcastle also actively contacted and received the support from the school.

After working on it for four days, under the leadership of Tianer, the members of the Association conducted online and offline fund-raising. With the help of the Embassy of China in the UK, all the proceeds were used to purchase protective clothing, medical masks and other healthcare equipment. The items were then donated to hospitals in China facing a shortage of medical supplies.

"During the pandemic, many students tried their best not to go out. But even at home, they still supported fund-raising activities, such as designing posters and editing publicity materials. All of us joined hands to combat COVID-19 in different ways. Our roots are in China, and we all want to help overcome the difficulties together with our motherland." During the battle against COVID-19, Tianer demonstrated the responsibility of modern international students through practical actions.

Selfless Philanthropy Gained Support From All Walks of Life

Just when the epidemic in China got under control, it began to spread overseas, very much out of her expectations. "In fact, I didnt expect the epidemic to spread so fast, and I didnt stock up on equipment such as face masks in advance." said Tianer. When many overseas students choose to return home, Tianer thought about it and decided to stay in the UK.

When COVID-19 broke out in China, Tianer and her friends made donations for their Motherland thousands of miles away. When Chinese students were facing difficulties overseas, she and her friends lent a helping hand.

As the president of CSSA Newcastle, Tianer signed up to become a member of the anti-epidemic group of the CSSA in UK universities and distributed health kits to Chinese students. Before the official distribution, Tianer participated in various discussions, sharing ideas with other CSSA based on her experience. They also decided on the details regarding the distribution such as eligibility criteria, date and method of distribution.

According to Tianer, in order to distribute health kits, they had to handle things such as registration information of recipients, dividing distribution areas among themselves and stipulated social distancing measures. Most of the regional leaders had to work until 4 or 5 in the morning every day. "Students tried their best to share kindness, and we firmly believe that this is meaningful and valuable!"

As the number of COVID-19 cases in the world increases dramatically, the dynamics of overseas Chinese have become a hot topic of concern. The Chinese groups such as Tianer’s are brave to take on responsibilities to help and contribute to the society. Their actions have been supported by overseas Chinese compatriots, the media, the police as well as the city hall. Through the media, Tianer advised everyone to take protective measures and received positive feedback from the local community. The president of Newcastle University sent an email in person, saying “Viruses do not discriminate. And neither do we", and expressed support for Chinese students.

Author: Dim Sum Media Studio | Gary

Photo & Video: CSSA Newcastle