china everbright limited’s parent-child volunteer team serves in changzhi, shanxi, to participate in “lifeline express” eye-train hospital volunteer work
27 august 2019 – china everbright limited ("cel", stock code: 165.hk) co-organised a parent-child volunteer visit with lifeline express to its eye-train hospitals for the sixth consecutive year. over the past few years, volunteer teams have visited eye-train hospitals and cataract patients in shandong, heilongjiang, guiyang, jilin and xinjiang. this year, 20 volunteers from hong kong, beijing, shanghai and qingdao offices, together with their family, visited the lifeline express eye-train hospital and cataract patients in changzhi, shanxi. the team also helped the local staff to clean the train, and paid a visit to a local elderly care home.
after arriving at the eye-train hospital, the captain welcomed the volunteer team by providing a brief introduction of the historical background of lifeline express eye-train hospital. the eye-train hospital in shanxi began performing surgeries on patients starting 1 august 2019. as of 22 august 2019, the hospital has performed surgeries on over 500 cataract patients, helping them to regain their eyesight.
afterwards, volunteers conducted a vision inspection for the patients under the supervision and guidance of medical practitioners, and spoke with the patients who were slated for surgery. many elderly patients were delighted by the volunteer team’s visit, thanking them for caring. in addition, volunteers also experienced the inconvenience and distress felt by cataract patients losing their vision through special activities. after leaving the eye-train hospital, the volunteer team, the manager of lifeline express and doctors visited two cataract patients who had just completed eye surgeries, to gain a better understanding of their life after surgery. besides the eye-train hospital, the volunteer team also leveraged this opportunity to visit a local elderly care home and spent time talking to the residents, entertained them with performances, and gave them gifts. they also brought along 10 wheelchairs donated by cel, which many of the elderly residents found to be a touching gesture.
the activity further deepened the volunteers’ understanding of cel’s support for the lifeline express welfare business, and also provided an opportunity for employees and children to participate in volunteer services. by visiting the fully recovered cataract patients, volunteers and children were able to share their joy in the restoration of their vision on a deep level, helping children to also understand that happiness is valuable and inspiring them to cherish their current healthy and happy life.
義工參與活動後感言：
i was very pleased to participate in the “lifeline express” volunteer activity organised by the company. although it was only a short four days, it was very fruitful with far-reaching results. in particular, communicating with medical practitioners and patients, as well as all the hands-on activities, helped me experience the warm care and gratitude in response from others. “without forgetting the initial intention, keep the mission in mind”, and let us all embrace charity and show dedication. it makes me happy bringing happiness to other people! i look forward to taking the “lifeline express” with everyone next time.-- ji lina (shanghai regional administration office)
our four-day changzhi volunteer activity in shanxi had an emotional end. when we were checking the eyesight of the elderly on the lifeline express, they needed to lean forward in order just to see the biggest word on the eye chart. the elderly people who received the treatment live in remote places with a tight budget. in the nursing home, the elderly burst into tears after hearing the children’s singing, and this unforgettable moment brought a rush of all sorts of feelings in me. the environment where we live is much better off than theirs, and i felt that we should provide more support to them. it is my hope that the elderly around the world may live healthy and long lives with the company of their children. our colleagues from all over the world came together to do meaningful things, and i hope that we can organise more similar activities so that children and adults can appreciate the joy of dedication and offering help.-- cui dan (shanghai regional administration office)
this trip to shanxi was an interesting one. i learned about charity, and how much we need to help those in need. my heart was moved when i heard ms yip tell the story of a girl who had cataracts, and could only tell the difference between day and night. her mother took her to the lifeline express, but the nurses told the mother that the surgery would only let the girl see just a little more light. her mother was stunned. after a long silence, the girl said, “i will do the operation, if it means i can see even just a little more light.” we also went to a nursing home and brought gifts for the elderly there, and we also sang and danced for them. when we sang an old song, an old woman wept silently, and i went to give my gifts to her. when i gave my candies to her, she said “good girl, good girl, but always remember to put chinese in the first subject!” all in all, i am very happy to have been invited to take part in the volunteer trip.-- joyce (super project acquisition fund department i, daughter of yingying wu)
