21 youths, including 16 Singapore Soka Association members embarked on a Youth Expedition Project called Project SHINE in Shanxi province, Chang Zhi county in China from October 11 to 26.
The project team engaged 280 junior high school students in interesting lessons in hope to inspire them to improve their Engliah language proficiency so that they can proceed to higher-level studies. Besides donating books and refurbished the school library, the team also painted a mural and participated in a cultural exchange with the local students.
Since August 2009, the participants met weekly to acquire greater understanding of the local cultures and customs and learn how to facilitate their work according to the given project scope. In collaboration with Mercy Relief, SSA is the endorsing organisation for Project SHINE and while the Poverty Alleviation Office of Shanxi Province hosted the project. This Youth Expedition Project (YEP) was funded by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and Tote Board (Singapore Totalisator Board) and was administered by the National Youth Council (NYC).