Education to nurture kindness in Chinese children

Nurturing Kindness and Hope in Rural China

This summer, while schools across China were closing for the holidays, ACTAsia’s classrooms were bursting into life. In August, over one hundred children gathered at Haiyuan County No. 2 Primary School in rural western China for ACTAsia’s Caring for Life Summer Camp, four unforgettable days of creativity, discovery, and compassion.

For many of these children, growing up in an area once marked by severe poverty and limited opportunities, the camp offered more than just fun, it offered hope. Haiyuan County has faced enormous social and environmental challenges, but education and community projects are helping to build a brighter future. ACTAsia’s Summer Camp is proud to be part of that story, helping children develop empathy, confidence, and a sense of responsibility for the world around them.

Guided by the ACTAsia team and volunteer instructors from Ningxia Normal University, the children took part in a vibrant mix of hands-on activities, from making ecological posters and studying “Amazing Animal Abilities” to exploring the biodiversity hidden in the corners of their schoolyard. These experiences helped them see how all living things are connected and why care and respect are at the heart of a compassionate world.

A highlight of the week was the “Understanding Emotions” sessions, where students learned to recognise and express their feelings in healthy ways, skills that help prevent bullying and nurture kindness. Ms. Liu Xiaoya, Head of Programmes at ACTAsia China, emphasised: "Our Summer Camp activities extends beyond knowledge transfer. It focuses on cultivating the diverse social-emotional competencies children need to solve problems, enabling them to treat others kindly, prevent bullying and violence and achieve the learning goal of 'learning to live together'. 

The camp ended with a joyful closing ceremony where every child was celebrated. The most enthusiastic “Pioneer Campers” proudly received ukuleles engraved with the words “Be a Caring Soul for Life.” What began as a group of strangers became a community united by empathy. Each small act of kindness learned at camp has the power to ripple outward, touching families, schools, and the wider community.

Your support makes stories like this possible. Every donation to ACTAsia helps us bring Caring for Life education to more children across China, inspiring the next generation to care for people, animals, and the planet.

Together, we’re nurturing a kinder world — one child at a time.

Links:

• How ACTAsia's Summer Camp helped three remarkable students