Chinese graduates give back

The worldwide volunteering event involved more than 500 University of Auckland graduates, students and staff who pledged at least one hour of their time to a local cause.

The University’s Chinese Alumni Club spent a day sprucing up the gardens at Dominion Road Primary School, with many of its members having family connections to the school and local area.

Around 30 graduates helped out with weeding, mulching, planting and maintaining the eco-trail and vegetable garden, as well as sorting and arranging multilingual books in the school’s library.  

School Associate Principal Christine Town says: "Sorting these materials saved the staff weeks of time and went a long way to getting books in Pasifika languages to our pupils."

President of the Chinese Alumni Club Rachel Yang says many Chinese see volunteering as an important part of integrating into New Zealand society.

“When I studied at the University of Auckland, I received scholarships to support my studies, so now it is my time to give back,” she says.

“Volunteering is also a meaningful way to engage with the local community, utilising skills and providing your time for those in need. It is very simple, and through this little gesture, it creates so much happiness in the lives of these children,” she says.

Alumni Relations Manager Joel Terwilliger says the inaugural Volunteer Impact Week was a global celebration of giving back which utilised the talent, skills and altruistic nature of the University of Auckland community.

“This was about our community taking action and bringing all of us together for the single purpose of contributing to social and environmental issues here in Aotearoa New Zealand, but also in communities across the globe,” Joel says.

The University of Auckland Chinese Alumni Club is a non-profit organisation that aims to connect and support the many Chinese alumni currently residing in Auckland. The club organises regular events to help Chinese alumni stay connected to the University, as well as network and socialise. The club has its own Facebook and WeChat pages to connect Chinese alumni.

For more about Volunteer Impact Week see: www.alumni.auckland.ac.nz/volunteering