Got questions about the China program? Because each program and location is different, we have included answers to our most frequently asked questions about this program. If you don't see your question, or would rather speak to us directly, please feel free to call any time on 1.800.808.2115. For general questions about Lifeworks, please look to our Frequently Asked Questions section.
- What is the main focus of the China program?
- How many people go on this program?
- What is our accommodation like?
- Who will be my staff?
- What's the weather like?
- Can I call home?
- How will I pay for calls home?
- How can parents find out what's going on during the program?
- Can I get mail on the program?
- Can I email home from the program?
- Do I need any specific immunizations for this program?
- What about the travel arrangements?
- Can I use frequent flyer miles to get there?
- Do I need a passport or any special visas?
During the China program, Lifeworks students work primarily with physically disabled children in privately funded orphanages. Students organize and implement sports and arts and crafts activities for the children, assist in providing direct care for the younger ones and help in the construction of a playground. It is an opportunity to work as part of one of the most needed efforts in China. Between projects, students will explore Beijing and visit the Great Wall, Forbidden City and the Terracotta warriors.
The China program is one of our smaller programs with between 8 and 12 students and two staff members.
Most Lifeworks students live together in volunteer housing or in a guesthouse near the children's home. Rooms are usually dorm-style, with 2 to 4 students sharing a room. Bathrooms may be private or shared, and usually have a western-style toilet and a simple shower. Not all housing is equipped with a washing machine, so be prepared to do your laundry by hand. Heat, power, air conditioning and hot water may be limited or intermittent, so do not count on them always being available!
When living in volunteer housing, we will take our meals there. At other times, we may eat at nearby restaurants or in dining halls. Most meals are simple, home-style local Chinese cooking, but you will certainly be treated to the occasional lavish Chinese banquet! You will be able to supplement your meals by shopping locally for fresh fruit, bread and other baked goods, milk, juice, yoghurt and snacks. For the more adventurous, there are numerous delicacies available at small restaurants. If you have food allergies or special dietary requirements (such as vegetarian preferences) please let us know in advance.
Two staff members travel with you full-time and others may come and go for specific portions of the trip. Take a look through the staff FAQs for more information on the Lifeworks staff.
During the summer months, the average temperatures in Taijuan (where we are spending most of our time) are highs of 84-88oF and lows of 63-67oF. Beijing has a very similar climate and is perhaps a little warmer still than Taijuan.
There may not be convenient phone access in the rural areas where we spend most of our time and with a time difference of about +13hrs, it may be difficult for students to call during daylight hours! We mention this, so parents will not insist that students phone home when it might not be very workable to do so. There is an option of making phone calls using a mobile phone while in China.
The Lifeworks China staff will be in frequent contact with our Sarasota office and will be carrying a mobile phone for program logistics and emergency use.
The pay-as-you-go phone service is called 'PandaPhone' and they have GSM SIM cards available for purchase prior to your departure for China. If your own mobile phone is unlocked and takes SIM cards, you can purchase a SIM card from their website (with additional airtime available for purchase also). If you do not have an unlocked mobile phone, you may purchase a SIM card anyway, and Lifeworks will provide a phone(s) for students to insert their own SIM cards when it is possible to make calls. Please visit the website www.pandaphone.com for details (please note that they currently only deliver to the US).
The easiest way is for students to place a quick call home to let Mom and Dad in on what's going on! Sometimes this doesn't happen though so, in 2004, we instigated a trip update system in which, at the end of each day, the shipmate leader of the day writes a few remarks in the log. If and when we can do it, this is then typed up and posted on the Lifeworks website.
Letters sent from the US to China will not arrive in time, but just because you can't receive any letters, doesn't mean that you shouldn't send one yourself.
In the orphanages themselves, we do not have computers or Internet connectivity, so email contact during that time will be very limited. However, many of the hotels that we stay at will have email, so it might be possible to stay in touch that way during those times.
Although vaccinations for this region are not required, the CDC recommends that travelers have the Typhoid, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B immunizations. Lifeworks strongly recommends immunizations against both Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B. If you do not have time to finish the series before you travel, then having at least the first two shots will offer some protection. You may also consider a chicken pox immunization if you have never contracted or been immunized against chicken pox. We suggest checking with your physician for his/her recommendation on immunizations. Allow plenty of time before your trip (CDC suggests 4-6 weeks) to see your health care provider. More information is given when enrolling.
Students come from all points of the compass, so coordinated air travel is of vital importance. For this reason, we ask that all students flying to China book through Reservation Services International as they regularly obtain the best fares available, arrange group seating and provide close monitoring on travel days in case of flight difficulties. As airlines often change their schedules, Lifeworks cannot be responsible for the coordination of air flights that were not booked through Reservation Services International.
For those booking through Reservation Services International, a Lifeworks representative will meet the group at the Chicago O'Hare (ORD) airport to help with this transfer. In most cases, this representative will also be a guide for the program and will fly to Beijing with the group. Additionally, it's often possible for us to help families connect with other families in their area to coordinate students flying together on the domestic portions of their itineraries.
For more information on flight itineraries and travel information, please contact...
Leah Hernandez
Reservation Services International
Tel 1.800.329.9000
(Texas +1.281.528.7727)
leahctn68@hotmail.com
Unfortunately, frequent flyer miles may not be used for the international portion of the ticket for this program. The reason for this is that we require that all of the students fly together on a specific set itinerary. Additionally, for some of the programs, we rely on discounted group fairs to lower the cost for everyone.
Everyone traveling to China must do so with a passport valid for a minimum of six months after the date of departure. Additionally, Lifeworks students need a visa issued by the nearest Chinese embassy or consulate in order to travel to China. Visas are not hard to acquire, though you need to either apply in person or use a visa service agency to process the visa for you, such as www.visa-chinese.com (Chinese visa service agency) or www.zvs.com (passport and visa service). More information is provided when enrolling in the program.
