BEIJING, August 11 -- Ten volunteers from the city will return to Shanghai tonight after they completed a 10-day teaching assignment in Xigaze, Tibet Autonomous Region.

The group, including an artist, lawyer, doctor and several office workers, taught Tibetan children at two different camps set up by the Oriental Morning Post newspaper and the law firm DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary.

Volunteers expressed a desire to do more via a daily blog.

"There's still too little that we gave these kids," Lu Mingming, senior consultant of the law firm and volunteer team captain, wrote on her blog.

"For most of the Tibetan kids, their world is unfortunately too small. They do not have the same educational opportunities that children in big cities have owing to the lack of educational resources in Tibet," Lu wrote on the day before the group left.

The volunteers, each teaching in their area of expertise, had 80 attentive students for the 10 days of classes.

A volunteer from China Mobile explained telecommunications to stimulate the imaginations of the children about future mobile phone functions. A doctor taught students basic medical and health-care knowledge.

Gu Weiming, vice general manager of Pacific-Antai Life Insurance Co Ltd, was crowned "King of Games" by students as he never failed to cheer up the children with stories and games.

Lu wrote: "It's an unprecedented and wonderful feeling to be admired by a large group of children." She said some students kissed her hands and clutched her clothing and backpack as they didn't want the volunteers to depart.

However, the poverty-stricken plateau area presented challenges for professionals used to the creature comforts of modern Shanghai.

Yan Zhenqian, director of Hays Executive and another volunteer, wrote that half of the group had altitude sickness. Some vomited and some had high blood pressure. Another needed sleeping pills due to breathing difficulties at night, volunteers wrote.

To help aid more Tibetan children, Oriental Morning Post also set up a bank account for donations. All money raised will be used for educational facilities in Xigaze.

(Source: Shanghai Daily)