When we think about Africa, words like “famine”, “AIDS”, or “malnutrition” might come to mind. Children with bloated stomachs and bony as skeletons waiting with emptiness in their eyes, hoping that something will change their fate are images often shown on TV and the press calling for donations from around the world to help improve the living conditions of those children.
Master Hui Li with his adopted children at ACC. From Arrowline
Clothing, food and medicine are surely the immediate aid for the unfortunate population, but what more can be done to help them get out of this cycle of poverty?
For 10 years, the Amitofo Care Centre (ACC) has been serving as a school and orphanage for children in Malawi, Lesotho and Swaziland in Africa. As the name suggests, the ACC is a Buddhist institution, distinguished by its status as the first Buddhist orphanage on the African continent. It is also unique for its special but extremely beneficial school curriculum. Children at ACC learn not only Buddhism but, most helpfully, the Chinese language and Kung Fu. Both disciplines are designed with a specific purpose by the ACC’s founder, Venerable Master Hui Li, who is a Taiwanese monk who started his mission in Africa in 1992.
“One of the purposes of the ACC is to bring the orphans a future, and as the Chinese language is getting more and more important in this world, we aim to equip African orphans with the language skill in order to work a decent job and end the poverty,” said Master Hui Li in an interview.
Many of the orphans staying at the ACC are adopted from remote villages, where the elderly and youngsters were left to fend for themselves while the adults died of AIDS. Without the care of a loving and resilient family, these children were thus deprived of proper food and healthcare. Seeing children beset by malnutrition and illnesses, Master Hui Li thought it would be best to strengthen the children's health by teaching them Kung Fu, so that they can be physically fit to protect themselves and contribute to society when they grow up. Teaching the children Mandarin Chinese also seemed vital, thanks to the growing ties between China and Africa’s economies.
Every year, the children of ACC embark on appreciation tours to thank benefactors who have contributed to their welfare and participate in cultural exchange programs with local students. They sing Chinese songs; perform Kung Fu and African dance on stage, which impress and touch the hearts of audiences from all ages.
“I should start looking up to these children after seeing how well they showcase the Chinese traditions through the performances,” said a Taiwanese high school participant of the cultural exchange program.