American adventurers helping to teach in China

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American adventurers helping to teach in China

(Xinhua) 17:06, November 08, 2013

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HAIKOU, Nov. 8 -- Eddie Stephen Mills doesn't look like a typical adventurer.

But two decades ago the teacher from Alabama uprooted his entire family and brought them to Wenchang on the island of Hainan, in far southern China.

Back then, the city was underdeveloped.

In 1993 there were no public buses and few foreign businesses, let alone foreign faces.

For Mills it was "a very different opportunity".

"At that time, not many schools and organizations were holding a teaching program in China," says Mills. "So I thought it was a good idea, to be one of the first ones to be involved in the teaching programs."

For most wives, having their husband suggest moving the entire family, across the world, would raise eyebrows.

But Cynthia Mills also saw it differently. "It was a big decision, to move our family, to move four children, but the family should stay together, so we all came to China."

Mills' first offer of work fell through, but the idea of working in China had taken hold.

When his second offer came, the couple accepted immediately, despite knowing little about the destination.

"Back 20 years ago, Wenchang was still a small town," Mills recalls."The first city bus came on Christmas Day, but now modern buildings are everywhere."

Despite the differences, the couple set about dedicating themselves to improving English education in the city.

In 2010, Mills established the International Education Exchange Association, or IEEA, a non-profit organization linking Western teachers, local teachers and students.

The couple started issuing poverty-relief programs in 2001.

Two years later, their first English summer scheme opened, focusing on helping rural schools that otherwise may not have access to English programs.

Lin Chengliang, an English teacher in a local elementary school is one of the trainees.

He says the program offers a great platform to communicate with foreign teachers.

"The training is very useful for our teaching," he adds. "The foreign teacher can help our pronunciation so that we can teach the students."

Since IEEA's creation, the couple has brought more than 100 foreign teachers to Wenchang.

Ultimately some will suffer from culture shock. Part of the couple's job is to explain these cultural differences to new teachers.

"In China students are very shy. When our teacher is teaching, maybe there is no response from the students," Mills explains. "So our teachers feel like they are doing a bad job, we have to help them adjust."

He says their secret to beating any pangs of homesickness in their teachers is giving them a small taste of home.

"They will call my wife mom, so they will call and say, 'Mom, can you cook for us?' That will help the new teachers feel at home again." Mills says.

Over the past twenty years, the couple have witnessed China's rapid growth first-hand.

"We watched the first McDonald's, the first Pizza Hut, first KFC, we watched everything for the first time happen," proclaims Mills proudly.

In 2004, he became Hainan's first teacher to receive the National Friendship Award for his 10-odd years of education and poverty relief.

"This is a very rare opportunity for Westerners to have this great honor," he beams. "And I feel it is an honor to be here."

Three years later, Mills received the Chinese Green Card, awarded to foreigners who contribute to China's development.

Despite their own children returning to America, the couple have chosen to stay, to continue helping China's children.

"We plan to stay a few more years for sure," says Mills. "I've got some young people right now and they will be trained to help run my organization."

(To watch this story, please visit China View on Youtube: http://xhne.ws/h8zCz)