Twenty students from various programmes at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) interacted with local people, experienced local culture, taught at a local primary school and volunteered at an eco-farm during an eight-day trip to Mongolia on the Service Outreach Experience Programme organised by Student Development Services over the summer.

The primary school where the CityU student volunteers taught local pupils English and played games was located near the capital, Ulaanbaatar. There was also time to cook Hong Kong-style food together with the Mongolian students.

The students’ voluntary work experience at an eco-farm, located near the Buhug River, about 45 kilometres outside the capital, included basic farm work using traditional farming tools, digging a canal for irrigation, and rebuilding and refurnishing farm railing.

 

Constance Lee Sze-ching, a Year 3 student from the Department of English said the most memorable of the trip was working at the eco-farm. “As an urbanite, I have never worked in a rural area. The days working at the farm were tough but also very special because I could experience Mongolian nomadic culture. I also stayed away from social media and felt closer to the natural environment and fresh air,” she said.

Brian Wong Yuen-cheung, a Year 3 student from the Department of Chemistry said this journey was his first time volunteering overseas, and it allowed him to explore the world and contribute to the community. “This cultural experience allowed me to mix with people from different backgrounds and cultures, broadened my horizons and let me understand and respect the world more, which made me a more valuable world citizen,” he said.

Both students agreed that the most challenging part of the journey was the extreme weather and the remote location. Since the temperature variation between day and night was so dramatic, they had to spend time adjusting at the beginning of the trip. In addition, there were many constraints at the remote locations, affecting electricity, internet access and transportation.

“I learnt how to use traditional tools and limited resources to overcome and adjust to the cultural difference over these eight days. Although it was not easy to adjust to the environment, it was a great experience to solve problems when facing uncertainty and difficulty, which has made me a tougher person,” Constance added.