Fundraising for Needy Children: Construction of Primary Schools and the Awarding of Scholarships

Many children living in poverty and disaster stricken areas of China have benefited through the UNESCO Scholarship Programme. Ten students from extremely poor areas of China were also recipients of scholarships to attend the Computer Pioneering College in Hebei province.  Special thanks to Kodak (China) Ltd. for its continuous support in this fundraising activity. We also appreciate the efforts of students from the International School of Beijing and American University in compiling the UNESCO World Heritage Sites Calendar.

The UNESCO World Heritage Sites calendar features outstanding photographs of all 23 UNESCO Cultural and Natural World Heritage Sites of the People's Republic of China.  The photos are followed by a caption of the site in English and Chinese. A brief description of each site is also available in French. The sale of these calendars serves two purposes: (1) to raise greater public awareness of the importance of the preservation of the World Heritage Sites and their value to all humanity and (2) to promote education for all for needy children who otherwise could not afford to attend school.

UNESCO continues to mobilise funds to help in the reconstruction of schools in communities suffering from natural disasters. China experienced the worst flooding in over 100 years in the summer of 1998.  Heavy loss of life and extensive damage to resources occurred along the central and southern reaches of the Yangtze River and in the northeast along the Songhua and Nen Rivers. Across Heilongjiang province in the northeast China, 2,300 schools were damaged, affecting 530,000 students.  A United Nations Appeal for China Floods was launched in September 1998 and since then, UNESCO has continued to mobilise funds to ensure the education of the children in the hard-hit areas of Heilongjiang.

Many requests for funds for the reconstruction of primary schools continue to be submitted to the UNESCO Beijing Office. These funds are greatly needed to ensure the continued education of children living in poverty and disaster stricken areas of China.

The construction of nine schools in Heilongjiang has been made possible by generous contributions from Caritas-Hong Kong, the American Chamber of Commerce in China, the American Community Club, the International School of Beijing, the Dragon Fire Team, the Kadoorie Charitable Foundations, the Rochester, New York Overseas Chinese Group, Rohm and Haas, Raytheon Corp. and UNESCO.  Kodak (China) Ltd. donated 10 used computers to the Huamei School in Fangzheng.  Left photo: Huashu Primary School

1. Huamei (China-USA) Primary School, Xinan
2. Huamei (China-USA) Primary School, Fangzheng
3. Huamei (China-USA) Primary School, Xupu
4. Xinxiang Primary School, Daqing
5. Yihe Primary School, Daqing
6. Bohetai Primary School, Daqing
7. Xinguo Primary School, Hailun
8. Changsheng Primary School, Huachuan
9. Huashu Primary School, Huachuan

A School and a Water Supply System Save Children in Difficulty in Miaowan Village
Thanks to the special contribution from Caritas-Hong Kong, the reconstruction of the Miaowan Primary School in Neixiang, Zhaqu county of Henan province has been completed. This community is in a flood and drought stricken mountainous region of Henan, where the annual per capita income averages 152 yuan. Many of the children previously had to walk over 5km to find water. Indeed, the children of Miaowan Village and other nearby villages will be forever grateful to the American Community Club for the water supply system provided, making water available to all the villages near the school. The International School of Beijing Development Committee raised funds to provide books for the new school library, and the Dragon Fire Swim Team and some Diplomatic Service Bureau staff provided chairs and desks for the school classrooms.  Matt Leveilee, an Eagle Scout, assumed the responsibility of collecting clothes, school supplies, school furniture and needed items for the children. All the children at Miaowan Primary School wrote letters expressing their heartfelt thanks to the International School of Beijing for coming to their rescue at such a crucial time.

Wolong Sleeping Dragon Primary School

Mr. Bernie Sheridan, General Manager of Beijing BAMA Food Processing Co., Ltd. visits Wolong Primary School in the Shidu Mountains

Since the grand opening of the Wolong Sleeping Dragon Primary School on International Literacy Day, 8 September 1998, the school and its students have continued to flourish.  With the generous donation made by Siemens BSW Household Applicances and Mercedez Benz China Ltd. to the UNESCO Scholarship Programme, no children have dropped out of school since the new school opened.  The American Community Club and the Good Shepherd continue their full support through their hot meal plan and teacher training programme.  The financial contribution from BAMA Food Processing Co. Ltd. ensures that heating and electricity no longer will be a financial burden for the school. One high-achieving student from Wolong Sleeping Dragon Primary School received a scholarship to complete her schooling in Beijing.

Xindifang Primary School in Zhangbei Earthquake Area of Hebei province
Donations from Caritas-Hong Kong and  Electricité de France will enable a new school to be built for the children of Zhangbei at the Xindifang Primary School in Haojiaying Village. The World Food Programme staff donated funds for the purchase of chairs and desks, and the International School of Beijing contributed toward the purchase of library books. The two-story school will accommodate 300 children. Much support is still needed in order for construction to be completed before September 2001.

New Funding for Schools from the Kadoorie Charitable Foundations
A contribution from the Kadoorie Charitable Foundations will finance the construction of three primary schools and a water supply system in the following locations:
1. Xingguo Primary School, Hailun, Heilongjiang
2. Bohetai Primary School,  Zhaoyuan, Heilongjiang
3. Xiaowang Rujian Primary School, Zhouzhi,    Shaanxi
4. Water Supply System for Zhaqu, Neixiang, Henan

UNESCO Hope Schools
Despite the best efforts of the Chinese government to implement nine-year compulsory education, each year more than one million students are compelled to drop out of school. Many children cannot afford the fee for school materials and supplies, a minimum of 60 yuan for one year of primary school education. In the hope of sending even just one more child to school, Project Hope was established. This project is sponsored by the non-profit China Youth Development Foundation, which receives contributions from domestic and international donors.

UNESCO designated the International Literacy Years, a period of 10 years beginning from 1990, in order to increase the global literacy rate. As part of this campaign, UNESCO Beijing Office cooperates with Project Hope. In 1995, a group of volunteers composed mostly of young Japanese students studying Chinese, the spouses of Japanese expatriates and Chinese students studying Japanese, formed the UNESCO Beijing Hope Schools branch to further contribute to the project.  These volunteers have met every Thursday evening to work together to promote exchanges between the Japanese community and the Chinese schools and children in poverty stricken areas.

Hope School Scholarship recipient in Taolihan village in inner Mongolia

This year Project Hope constructed seven new schools. Together with the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan’s (NFUAJ) Terakoya Project, three Terakoya Hope schools were built in Inner Mongolia, Shanxi and Hebei. Thanks to the Japan Bellmark Education Foundation and Mr. and Mrs. Fujimoto, the construction of two Hope Schools in Sichuan province was also completed. One school under the support of the Fukuoka-Fengning Hope School Support Club and another school under the support of the Inazawa Sister City Visiting Group were built.  The Hope School Project also awards scholarship to needy children. An amount of 500 yuan is donated to each child to finance five years of education expenses. Hope Project already has been able to put 150 children back in school.

Project Hope has donated books to 13 schools using the money collected from donations and cultural seminars held four to five times a year. The  seminars have included Mr. Shofukutei Gakko’s Comedy show, a NGO study session and tea ceremony lessons.

Other projects included securing the donation of desks, chairs, musical instruments, sports equipment and stationery. We wish to thank the returning exchange students who donated a part of these goods.

We also extend our thanks to the Takushoku University First High School and Mr. Shofukutei Gakko, Mr. Kyokudo Nanrin, Takayama Baseball Association, Hamamatsu UNESCO Association and Matsuyama UNESCO Association for their generous assistance.

The UNESCO Beijing Project Hope volunteers will continue their activities, enabling the donors’ warm-hearted wishes to brighten the lives of the children of Project Hope.

National Commissions for UNESCO in the Sub-Region
National Commission for UNESCO of the People’s Republic of China

National Commission for UNESCO of Japan

National Commission for UNESCO of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

National Commission for UNESCO of the Republic of Korea

National Commission for UNESCO of Mongolia