2015年CRI 夏日之旅将已成孤儿成绩优异的年轻人带到北京（在线收听）

23-year-old Li Yaxiu is a new graduate with a Physical Fitness degree from Yangtze University in central China's Hubei Province.

The tour is bringing Li to the capital city for the first time, and she is clearly very excited about it. She sees the trip as a new starting point in her life.

"This Beijing tour has taken us to some great places such as the Summer Palace and the Great Wall, which we knew from our textbooks but had never visited. Hearing the histories of the Summer Palace from our tour guide has also aroused patriotism in my heart. Additionally, we developed wonderful friendships with the volunteers at the Amway Charity Foundation during the trip."

Joining Li on the trip are her twin sister and eight other children who also grew up without their parents. While growing up, these youngsters all received steady financial support from a fund jointly operated by the Amway Charity Foundation and China Children and Teenagers Fund.

Since 2002, the joint effort has supported 460 orphans in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei Province. 34 of those children are currently pursuing a college degree while 20 others have obtained their degrees and entered the workforce.

The annual summer trip, started three years ago, is designed to further enrich the lives of those young people aided by the charity fund.

Wu Peifu is a staff member at the fund.

"This trip to Beijing is meant to take the participants out of the confines of their hometown and to boost their outlook on life. Taking them to Beijing's historic sites can help them better understand our nation's history. Also I think the trip will encourage these young people to work harder and pave the way for a better future."

In addition to giving these young people an opportunity to broaden their horizons, the itinerary also includes a visit to a local welfare center for children.

And this visit reminds Li Yaxiu of her childhood without her parents.

"After my parents passed away, our relatives decided to send us to a welfare center. We were presented with mounting challenges, including the possibility of dropping out of school. So as soon as I visited this Beijing welfare center, I felt so close to these children who face intense pressure from life. They need and deserve attention, care and love, like we did. Yesterday as I arrived there, I joined the lesson teaching them to learn new things and be independent."

Losing their parents at an early age was a blow to these young people. However, many loving members of the Chinee society were willing to lend them a helping hand and to support their growth.

Many children in need have not had access to the types of support that they received. Taking them to the welfare center was also meant to inspire in these young people a desire to give back. Wu Peifu explains again:

"Primarily we want to let them know there are people who need help more than they did. This trip hopefully will also plant in their minds a seed of voluntary giving to help those in need. Once they become successful and have the resources in the future, they may consider supporting charitable causes as a result."

On the last day of their trip, volunteers with the Amway Charity Foundation threw a birthday party for one of the young people. Moved to tears, the youngsters again felt the love and support surrounding them.

Friendships, teamwork and growth are the best take-aways for these young people from a trip that will surely be cherished for years to come.

For Studio Plus, I'm Luo Laiming.