ALTRUISM isn’t just a matter of donating money to good causes. To really make a difference, personal contact is often needed, and companies as well as individuals have a social responsibility.

BD China, a domestic branch of the US-based healthcare giant, formed a volunteer group four years ago, to fill gaps in health services.

“Like many others, we used to donate money and equipment to poor kids in rural schools and to survivors in disaster areas,” said Anita Wei, director of public affairs and communications for the company. “But later, we wanted to trigger our employees’ passion by tapping their medical expertise to help others.”

BD volunteers offer free AIDS testing and cervical-cancer screening to the underprivileged and to high risk people. The group also assists local communities in improving heathcare management.

One of BD’s projects is Children Hospital Play, launched in 2015 at the Shanghai Children’s Medical Center.

“It is based on our belief that children in hospital have the need to play just like other children,” Wei said.

Shelly Li, who leads BD’s volunteer program, said the project trained volunteers, nurses and parents.

The hospital freed up a room where 15 volunteers and 21 children, mostly suffering from severe blood diseases, could engage in games and other fun activities.

“The children are sick and some of them are dying,” Wei said. “We want to help them through hard times. It’s more meaningful than just donating a toy or a book.”

Cultural ‘messenger’

Australian Dahvida Falanitule, who lives in Jing’an and is married to a Shanghai native, takes time from a busy schedule as chairman of EIC Media Group to do volunteer work aimed at improving relations and communications between locals and foreigners.

“People ask me: ‘Are you Mother Theresa or shenjingbing?’” Falanitule said, referring to the Shanghainese word for those whom are “mentally challenged.” “Maybe I am a bit of both.”

In his free time, he mixed with locals, getting to know people. “I learn something from them, and trust between us is built,” Falanitule said.

He cited one example.

“When I go to a local meeting, the residents who are smoking throw a cigarette to me,” he said. “That means you are accepted.”

About 10 years ago, Falanitule began writing articles for the district government’s bilingual newspaper, sharing his experiences of daily issue like schools and a cross-cultural marriage.

He also became Shanghai’s first and only “moral inspector,” charged with keeping an eye out for street offenses.

Due to his voluntary work, Falanitule has been honored as a “friend of the Party.”

“I received the honor because officials told me I had a lot to offer in bringing international experience to the local scene,” he said. “I am proud to be part of the community. I consider Jing’an to be my second home.”

Volunteer work is often hard to enter or promote because some groups have such loose management and provide such opaque information about what they are doing.

“Many community projects seem to be done behind closed doors,” he said, “while back home, volunteer work is more structured and open.”

He said a foreigner living in Shanghai needs to understand cultural differences.

“The concept of democracy is all about me, myself and I,” he noted. “Here, it’s the ‘we’ factor. I think everyone here sincerely cares about their community, whereas in the West, people have to be motivated to engage in voluntary work.”


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