By Hunter Wilson ’13
The Yuan for Youth is a nonprofit organization created by Seattle Prep students Jessica Collins ’13 and Catherine Foster ’13 that is designed to help rural China. They are under the big organization China Tomorrow Education Fund. A documentary is currently being made featuring Catherine and Jessica and their efforts with Yuan for Youth. The film will focus on motivating young people in the US to help those less fortunate, specifically in rural China. Jessica and Catherine made a trip to China to see the areas the money was going. Jessica commented, “Our experience in China was unforgettable. Each school we visited we were amazed at an overwhelming sense of joy in each of the children. They lived with such simplicity with close to nothing, yet they worked hard in school and never failed to laugh and smile. While we were there we also got to visit the home of one of the children. We met the children’s grandparents who did not even speak mandarin (only the local dialect) and had never seen a foreigner like ourselves, let along left his small village. Each school was nestled in between mountains and mountains of rice patties and tea plantations. We ate some crazy food too. Catherine was hesitant but I ate some cool things (chicken gizzard, pigs foot, etc.). We also got to play the role of tourists in Hong Kong which was an amazing experience. Hong Kong is extremely different in comparison to other cities in China. There were also many protests and demonstrations against the Chinese government. We took part in Hong Kong’s history when we walked in one of the demonstrations for pension rights.”
If the video is a success than hopefully more people will donate to Yuan for Youth and China Tomorrow Education Fund to help rural China. The director Lu Leslan is hoping to get it on television along with the movie. The first cut of the documentary is scheduled to come out in January with the final released around February or March. After Yuan for Youth is finished this year Catherine and Jessica hope to continue it as they go off to college. They do not know what their college plans are yet, but whether they are together or separate, they want to continue with the organization. They have learned a lot and have taken much joy from the work they do, and do not want it to end. Yuan for Youth is growing and its impact will continue to increase as the documentary comes out and more people are inspired to help rural China.