Archives: Volunteer stories

Volunteers Rona and Nikora had five hours to learn Nuo, one of China’s oldest ritual dances, and found strong parallels with Māori performance.

Volunteer Manaia brought kapa haka into her classroom in China and learned about Chinese performing arts in return, a true two-way cultural exchange.

The first volunteer cohort in Sichuan was formally welcomed at the Sichuan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Mianyang, with support from Hastings District Council.

Volunteers Tia and Summer explored Fairy Lake in Xinyu, Jiangxi, discovering its natural beauty, its legends and the parallels with stories from home.

Volunteer Claudette was hosted in Jingdezhen, a city that has made porcelain for over a thousand years, alongside students and artists from around the world.

Volunteering in China doesn’t mean living in a polluted megacity. In Jiangxi, volunteers find mountains, rivers and UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites.

A group of volunteers in Jiangxi ran the Xinyu Marathon, cheered on by locals. It became a story of community, nature and personal achievement.

New Zealand volunteers performed at the Fuzhou International Cultural Festival in Jiangxi, representing New Zealand culture and connecting with the local community.

Two New Zealand volunteers in Xinyu visited a battery materials maker and an electric vehicle plant, then turned what they saw into lessons for their students.

Volunteers Stacee and Denoaid saw clean energy in everyday life in Jiangxi and drew links to solar and micro-grid projects in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.