A Mutual Journey of Life and Love: Jingyan “Yi Qi Ai” Summer Camp for Thalassemia Care Concludes Successfully

A Mutual Journey of Life and Love: Jingyan “Yi Qi Ai” Summer Camp for Thalassemia Care Concludes Successfully

The summer breeze in Yunnan rustled through the rainforests of the Gaoligong Mountains, brushed past branches heavy with mangoes, and gently touched two pairs of tightly clasped hands—one from Beijing, the other from a thalassemia-affected family.

From July 22 to 27, 2025, the Beijing Jingyan Foundation hosted the six-day “Yi Qi Ai: Summer Camp for Thalassemia Care” here, fostering a meaningful dialogue about life. 6 families, 21 participants in total, set out together on a journey of courage, responsibility, and hope for the future.

Journeying Together: Yi Qi Ai

As a long-term initiative dedicated to families of children with thalassemia, the Beijing Jingyan Foundation’s Building Love for Thalassemia Action project has consistently embraced a full-spectrum approach of care, from medical support to humanistic empowerment. The project has established a multi-dimensional, long-term assistance system covering medical aid, educational support, agricultural assistance, and holistic care, helping nearly 1,700 children with thalassemia regain their health and guiding them on the journey from treatment to personal development.

We believe that true support is not a one-way gift, but a shared source of strength. Families affected by thalassemia gain relief from financial burdens and the courage to move forward, while urban families receive the most vivid lessons in life. With this philosophy, we launched a journey of mutual growth and care: the Yi Qi Ai: Summer Camp for Thalassemia.

A Boundless Classroom: Integrating Philanthropy into Experience, Turning Education into an Invisible Gift 

This summer camp transformed nature into a boundless classroom, using immersive experiences as the students’ desks, opening up a journey that transcends disease and geography. When children from Beijing meet the mountains of Yunnan, an extraordinary life experience begins!

ChapterⅠ: We Swapped Lives!

The children from Beijing didn’t travel to the mountains of Yunnan for a vacation—they came to live, learn, and connect. At this year’s summer camp, every child received a special “philanthropy mission” designed not just for helping others, but for learning through doing.

In Baoshan, they pruned coffee trees and picked mangoes under the sun. Their friends with thalassemia laughed as they showed how to spot the ripest fruit. Between moments of work, they sang, cooked, and washed dishes together—small, ordinary acts that slowly bridged the distance between two worlds.

At another host family’s home, the children swung sickles to weed a cornfield and learned to prepare local Yunnan dishes. Huddled close, the girls whispered secrets; Beijing kids taught the Yingge dance, while their Yunnan friends answered with mountain songs that echoed through the fields. They became each other’s teachers and the closest of friends, learning through shared experiences and growing together in the boundless classroom of life.

In Xizhen, a small town on the western side of Cangshan in Dali, herding and feeding livestock became a brand-new challenge. For some of the children, it was their first time climbing such steep mountain paths—stumbling a few times, only to be steadily supported by their thalassemia friends. While gathering wild walnuts, pairs of small hands worked together to crack the tough shells and shared the sweet kernels inside.

As night fell over the mountain village, the aroma of roasted corn drifted up from the firepit. The children sat close around the flames, sharing their true thoughts and feelings. That day, they didn’t just experience another way of life. They learned, through work and conversation, to see the world with eyes of equality and respect.

Chapter II: A Magical Journey Through Culture

In the misty Simola Wa village, the children felt the heartbeat of an ancient belief that all things have spirits through the rhythm of wooden drums. They pounded sticky rice into mochi by hand, experiencing the Wa people’s simple tradition of honoring nature through food. Using natural pigments, they painted tribal totems on each other’s faces and laughed as colors bloomed on their skin.

Later that afternoon, they wandered through the stone-paved alleys of Heshun Ancient Town. In a woodblock printing workshop, the children worked side by side, one holding the paper and the other brushing the ink, their quiet cooperation revealing a perfect rhythm of understanding.

Chapter III: Rainforest Survival Challenge

In the lush rainforest of the Gaoligong Mountains, a Lisu guide led the children on a journey of discovery through a world of wonder. They learned to recognize tropical ferns, twisting vines, and strange trees wrapped in “forest sweaters,” while the distant calls of wild animals echoed through the mist. Every step revealed the quiet miracles of life in the jungle.

“Be my walking stick! I’ll be your non-slip shoes!” the children laughed as they helped one another across muddy paths, giving real meaning to the word partnership.

In the afternoon, they picked and processed tea leaves, learning through the bitterness and sweetness of tea the lessons of patience and reward.

As night fell, they danced around a bonfire in traditional costumes of many ethnic groups. The swirling colors and laughter made it impossible to tell who came from the mountains and who from the city.

Chapter IV: Sharing Turns into Laughter and Tears

During the mid-camp sharing session, the children took turns stepping forward to sincerely share their feelings and personal growth.

One child with thalassemia said, “Before, I thought the world was only hospitals and mountains. This time, I met friends from Beijing who told me about the Forbidden City, the Space Museum, and the Underwater World. It made me determined to study hard and one day see the wider world for myself.”

A child from Beijing shared, “It was the first time I saw corn growing in the field, the first time I saw a coffee tree, the first time I learned how to pick mangoes, and the first time I used a sickle to weed. These experiences are more vivid and unforgettable than any book or movie.”

One by one, the children spoke from the heart, revealing their dreams:

• The child with thalassemia wants to become a nurse who gives painless injections.
• The child from Beijing wants to grow up into someone who can shield others from wind and rain.

Tears glistened in their eyes, yet everyone clapped and laughed together, sharing a moment of deep connection and hope.

Final Chapter: A Promise Forever

At the closing ceremony, the Jingyan Foundation presented each child who attended the summer camp with a commemorative medal. The sweat from bending over to work together, the tears shared in moments of vulnerability, the hands tightly clasped in the rainforest, the dreams glowing by the fire—all of these were embodied in the small medal, bearing witness to each child’s courage and growth.

The most touching moment came when the parents from thalassemia-affected families showed their calloused hands: “We plant mangoes and raise sheep. With every basket of fruit sold, we repay our debts little by little. As long as you’re willing to work hard, there is hope in life!”

The children held hands and made a heartfelt promise: even when the camp ends, even across 2,000 kilometers, they will stay in touch, share their lives, and remain lifelong friends.

This summer, the children discovered that:

• Thalassemia is not just a term in a textbook, but a “superpower mark” on the hands of their friends.
• Philanthropy is not one-sided help, but working together, sharing together, and growing together.
• No matter where you come from, dreams are equally precious.

In this moment, the true meaning of the summer camp blossomed: it is not an end, but the beginning of countless futures. When every child is willing to be someone else’s umbrella, and every moment of vulnerability transforms into the strength to help others, philanthropy truly evolves—from mere “aid” to genuine “coexistence.”

The Beijing Jingyan Foundation will continue to be the soil that nurtures these seeds and the window that welcomes the light, allowing more light to illuminate more lives.