Mr. Julius Norvila, the Partnership Manager of Humana People to People Baltic (‘HPPB’) in Lithuania, visited the rural project supported by his organization in the second half of October at the end of last month and started his Southwest China visit!

It  is the first time for Mr. Norvila to visit China. His curiosity to everything around outweighed even the coldness of the weather. His passion for his surroundings is like the one a child and all  people around are warmed by him. After short term flight transfer in Beijing, he arrived at his first stop - Butuo County of Sichuan Province visiting TCE Butuo, the HIV prevention project co-financed by the Delegation of the European Union to The People's Republic of China and Mongolia and HPPB and implemented by 2 local partners: the Butuo Women Federation and Liangshan Yi for Empowerment Center.

Mr. Norvila had a look at project progress, visited villagers, field officers, passionates and women representatives and talked with them about work and their feelings. He also provided trainings. Mr. Norvila brought some new ideas and angels of viewing problems. Everyone was thankful to him. He held discussion meetings with the NGO partners and local branches of the Women’s Federation. Participants thought positive towards the project model. (for more information please click the link: http://hppchina.org.cn/newshow.asp?id=1134).

Until the end of October, activities of TCE Butuo Project are completed as follows:


Mr. Norvila then visited Bolang Preschool Class of Butuo County. He observed the class, learned to do rabbit dance with the preschool, and observed children to have their nutritious lunch. Mr. Norvila talked with the teachers to know about students’ attendance rate, what class they liked to teach the most, challenges of the teaching and changes of students before and after they attended the preschool class.
 



Then Mrs. Yu from HPP China Yunnan Office and Mr. Norvila left Butuo County and went to visit the preschool located in the deep mountainous areas of Lujia Village, Shangri-la County, Yunnan Province. There are 30 children enrolled into this preschool. During break time, the children ran out joyfully on the outside rough and uneven muddy ground to chase one another, play fight, have fun and pose different gestures for Mr. Norvila to have their photos taken. Tang Hongzhao is teaching there and also takes care of the children, eg. prepares warm food for the children. When Mr. Tang was lighting a fire, Mr. Norvila talked with him and asked him what were the challenges he had encountered during working here? Mr. Tang just smiled and said: nothing. Mr. Norvila was unwilling to give up. He found a place to sit down and asked in another way: “What difficulties do you have in your work? What can I do for you?” Upon being asked repeatedly, Mr. Tang answered shyly: not good at singing and dancing, he wished that he could have the opportunities of receiving this kind of training.




As the last stop, Mr. Norvila went to HPP Zhenkang Preschool of the Future Project in Zhenkang County at the Yunnan border to Myanmar, which is the Preschool project that has run for the longest time. Being accompanied by Zhenkang Poverty Alleviation and Development Office Party Secretary Yang Shuqing and HPPC Project Manager Li Jiancai, he visited Tangshangshui, Qingtang and Taozizhai Preschools. During the visit, Mr. Norvila tried to learn about the preschool from different aspects. He talked with preschool teachers, visited households to know about parents’ needs, organized parents’ committee to discuss his observations, communicated with the head of the village and village representatives to know about their opinion of the preschools.
 Communicating with teacher.

 Discussion meeting with parents.


Communicating with parents' coomittee members of Qingtang Preschool.

 Group photo with children, parents and teachers in Taozizhai Preschool.

 Group photo in Tangshangshui Preschool.
 
Group photo with children of Qingtang Preschool.
 
Mr. Norvila observed the classes and he was very touched by the interaction between children and the teacher; he was also very much attracted by dance performance of parents and children and he joined the dance himself and enjoyed the fun. The children also liked Mr. Norvila very much because he was that energetic and compassionate.
 Communicating with children.

 
Performing local folk culture --Da Ge with parents of Taozizhai Preschool.

Before Mr. Norvila went back to his country, he returned again to Beijing. During his stay in Beijing, he visited the HPP China office at Sanyuanqiao and shared with us his visit to Southwest China this time. From his exciting expression, we could see his love to this land and the people here.