‘A Meaningful Project’ is how Storm King School sophomore Ke Dana X. ’24 described her plan to help a group of young children in China stay in school. According to Dana, “they are ‘left-behind’ children which means that their parents are not with them. They live in difficult circumstances and have to walk several miles to school every day. It’s especially hard in the rain or snow,” she explained.

When Dana learned of their plight from a family friend, she decided to use her skills and passion for making videos to encourage them. “The things I could do are very limited. I understand that even if I donate a lot of things, it won’t change the whole situation. I want to pursue filmmaking as my major in college, and I already know how to shoot and edit videos, so I chose video as my way to communicate and encourage them to work hard and change their fate,” she said.

Dana’s heartwarming video features short vignettes of her friends and faculty at SKS, as well as her friends living in Thailand and China. “The whole project took me about a week to shoot and three days to edit using my camera, tripod, and microphone. The hardest part was organizing the people! I remember having to run back and forth a lot to the Art Center with all my equipment in hand,” she recalled.

 

With the help of her father, who volunteers to help the children, Dana’s finished video reached the Heba Primary School and the Tiantang Primary School located in Sichuan Province, China. To her delight, the children enjoyed the video so much that they sent back a very special thank you– a touching video of their own. As soon as she received the news, she shared it with all those who participated. “I am very excited to tell you that the children in Sichuan have received your generous encouragement and love. In response, these adorable kids sent a video which is famous in China called ‘Listen to Me, Thank You.’ I don’t know how to describe my feelings in words at the moment. When I saw these cute faces, I was so moved.”

Dana, who says she learned a lot while completing the project, also wants to thank her friends and teachers who helped her make the video: “Completing this project was really fun. In the process, I challenged myself and made many friends. The video is not only to my own credit but also to everyone who was involved. I really appreciate everyone’s help.”

 

Video to Sichuan

 

“Listen to Me, Thank You”

 

“Listen to Me, Thank You”
Lyrics in English:

I’m sending you a little heart
And also a flower
In my life, you’ve given me
So many touching moments
You’re my angel
Who always guides my way
No matter how the years change
I’ll sing loving you into a song
Listen to me: “thank you!”
Because you warmed the four seasons
Thank you, because of you
The world is more beautiful
I want to thank you
Because of you
Love is always at the bottom of my heart
Thank you, because of you
The happiness is passed on