Human genetic resources refer to genetic materials containing human genomes and genes, such as organs, tissues and cells (whole blood, serum, plasma, urine, feces, cerebrospinal fluid, bone marrow, tissue slices, etc.). Centered on the Healthy China Strategy and themed on human genetic resource donation, this social practice leverages the disciplinary strengths of Life Sciences to launch the series "Covenant of Life · Pass on Love". It seeks to strengthen volunteers’ awareness of service and dedication, help students improve practical abilities through fieldwork, raise public awareness of human genetic resource donation and boost the development of medical and healthcare services.
In June 2023, the "Covenant of Life" Volunteer Service Team of Xuzhou Medical University carried out summer social practice at Jiuru City Senior Care Center. Having learned the principles and disinfection knowledge of hand sanitizer in professional courses beforehand, students purchased raw materials and prepared 100 bottles of hand sanitizer as gifts for the elderly.
On the activity day, volunteers arrived early to deliver elderly care services and conduct questionnaire surveys on human genetic resource donation. After learning about the nursing home’s basic operation from administrators, they chatted with seniors and conducted one-on-one questionnaire interviews to collect feedback on their living satisfaction, health knowledge mastery and cognition of genetic resource donation. Most people hold a resistant attitude toward unfamiliar concepts, and human genetic resource donation is widely seen as sensitive and daunting for the elderly. Creative outreach by college students delivers relevant knowledge in a natural, approachable way to reduce public aversion.
Volunteers handed out self-made hand sanitizer for free and popularized hand hygiene knowledge to raise seniors’ health awareness. Combined with their professional expertise, they also offered tailored healthy dietary advice based on the elderly’s physical conditions. During outreach, the team strived to make knowledge of human genetic resource donation down-to-earth and accessible, using simple, interesting and practical expressions to communicate traditionally sensitive topics, helping the public better understand and support this public welfare cause and pass love forward.
Led by young college students, the social practice project "Covenant of Life · Pass on Love – Human Genetic Resource Donation" explores innovative, artistic communication models for genetic donation. It aims to turn temporary volunteer activities into regular initiatives, subtly popularize donation concepts among students and win recognition from all walks of society, making voluntary genetic resource donation a new social trend. Moving forward, the "Covenant of Life" Volunteer Service Team will further integrate labor education with social practice, combining Life Sciences characteristics to empower volunteer work and pass on kindness.
Author: Hong Xiaoran, First Review: Hong Xiaoran; Second Review: Zheng Peng; Third Review: Li Chong
