Guo YangQin has been working for Half the Sky for four years, first as a Little Sisters Teacher, then as a Little Sisters Field Supervisor. More recently, like all our Field Supervisors, YangQin has also taken on training responsibilities so Half the Sky can fulfill its mission of reaching caregivers in orphanages all over China:

I grew up in the Beihai Social Welfare Institution and started working there right after I graduated from college. When Half the Sky offered me a job, at first I was confused and I hesitated—I thought Half the Sky was just a foreign charity that hired people to help children.

Fortunately, I got the wonderful opportunity to learn more by attending a Half the Sky training for new teachers. For me, the training was a life-changing experience.

Wen Zhao, our program director, was so full of passion-- she believed that children in the institution, even those with special needs, can shine. I was touched. Though I grew up in an institution and graduated from college, I did not share such a strong belief in the potential of institutionalized children. I decided at the beginning of the three-week training that I really wanted to work at Half the Sky and help children just like me.

But during the training, when I saw how outstanding the children in Half the Sky’s Little Sisters program are, I lost courage and became filled with my usual self doubt. Would I be able to do well? Could I make a difference in the lives of these children?

Wen sensed all my self-doubts and questions--she had so much faith in me and encouraged me. Would you back out when others trust you and support you this much? I finally accepted the job offer and became a Little Sisters teacher.

When I started working with the children, I saw bits of the old me in them--low self-esteem, timidity, a dread of change, and an inability to communicate. In order to educate these children and help them change, I had to change myself.

Self-reflection is sometimes a painful process, but I had to do it -- I had to learn to treat myself better so I could treat the children in my care better. I kept reminding myself that I needed to do this and I did -- the innocent children I was teaching wound up teaching me. The children helped me re-discover myself, accept and like myself, and become more confident. I learned that even though we do not have a dad and a mom, and even though some of us are not physically healthy, we can be as happy as anyone else.

Thanks to the children and to my wonderful mentors and colleagues, I have changed a lot since I started working for Half the Sky. I have learned to love myself as I love the children and in the process I have gained so much confidence--I have taken on responsibilities that would have been unimaginable to me four years ago.
My duties include helping teachers solve problems online and on the phone; managing the Little Sisters website and creating Power Point presentations and graphs about our program. But what I am most proud of is that I – who used to avoid making eye contact with strangers -- now communicate confidently and calmly with so many strangers and institution leaders during the site visits I conduct as a Field Supervisor.

Last year, I faced another test of my new-found courage when unexpectedly I had to conduct a training session in Hohhot for new teachers for the first time by myself. I am thrilled to say I passed the test.

In both life and work, there are challenges every day. It’s a matter of whether you are willing to take them so you can change. If you do, one day you’ll find that you are really great.

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