Happy YES Party at Chongming
Dec.27.2018
YES Party is a one-day celebration to award volunteer mentors who served YES (Youth for Environmental Sustainability) or Organic Garden program for more than one semester. This winter semester, we invited mentors to Xin Geng Farm at Chongming. The farm owner, Ms. Hou had volunteered Organic Garden program already for three years!
At arrival, we make the dumplings called Jiaozi. Ms. Hou provided healthy organic whole-wheat powder for us make them. Our volunteers can do anything. One dumpling after another, came out from mentors’ hand. It was interesting to find out that we have different ways to make same dumplings.
When the dumplings came to pile, it was time to EAT them! We make the Jiaozi fast, but we had them faster. Tasty fish soup was a great plus when you were full of Jiaozi. Finally, the latest served veggie dumplings won the most delicious dish.
After the simple but tasty lunch, we began to make the lipstick as scheduled. YES team provider all the materials and tools. Director Rebecca shared the therapy and formula. Each participants made two 100% natural hand-made lipsticks that day. It was not difficult to make a usable lipstick. We could build a better future both for us and the environment through responsible choice and effort.
The last interaction was weed recognition, the most informative one. Each mentors was asked to find and take ten different kinds of weed in the farm in the beginning. When the weeds were collected, Rebecca first put the same together. Then she put the thick book “Illustrated Flora of Shanghai, Herb” on the table and started her casual speech. When you know the name of the weed around, you start to know the Nature.
At the sunset, the happy party came to an end. Lots of volunteer mums brought one bag of whole-wheat powder back home. As usual, YES Party is casual and full of joy and fun. We were honored to create a warm and memorable day for mentor.
Thanks again to all YES mentors and volunteers of Roots & Shoots! With our effort and practice, we could built a better future for all.