Last post, I described the role that passion plays in fostering a sense of community. To build off of that, I’m going to talk a little bit about letting passion drive service. As I previously posted about, I have found an amazing yoga community here in Shanghai and am incredibly grateful to have met so many individuals with similar passions to my own . With almost three months down, and about a month and a half left of my time in China, I have been starting to think about my plans after my time in Shanghai.
In July, I will be heading to Uganda, Africa for the summer. In Uganda, I will be working with an organization called the Giving Circle, which is a non-profit organization that assists with educational and health development in poor regions of the world. In particular, I will be working with midwives in the African village called Kagoma Gate Village. In Kagoma Gate, I will be observing and assisting with health practices in an underdeveloped region of the world. The work that the Giving Circle does is incredible, and I am very excited to be a part of their efforts. The organization has been expanding and making unbelievable transformations in the Kagoma Gate community. As an entirely non-profit organization, the more money that is raised, the more aid the Giving Circle can provide.
Living in Shanghai, I have experienced life in a developed city where most of the population is relatively well off. Thinking about my near future, I will be living in a location vastly different from my current one, transitioning from a global city to an underdeveloped village. I began brainstorming how I can use my time here in Shanghai to help the individuals in Uganda who I will be working alongside for the summer.
One of my friends here named Sarah is currently a PhD student at the university where I am studying. Sarah was the yoga instructor at a yoga class I attended on campus, and we began to talk about yoga and have been friends ever since. A few days after I met Sarah, she invited me to an outdoor yoga class that she was holding at a nearby park. I had such a fun time with Sarah and her friends, and got an idea for a fundraising event to benefit the giving circle.
Now that temperatures are rising in Shanghai, I am hoping to host a fun night time yoga session outdoors. As of now, I am planning on co-teaching with Sarah, who speaks Chinese, so that she can cater to the Chinese speakers and I can cater to the English speakers. Between the two of us, we can spread the message about our event to our friends here in Shanghai, and by creating a suggested donation for the class, we will be able to raise some money for the Giving Circle. If all goes well, we can maybe even hold more than one event. It will be such an incredible feeling to be surrounding with new friends for a night of yoga for a great cause and I am looking forward to sharing more details on the event to come!
