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Bringing New Hope to Young Rural Have-nots

ounded in 1981, CCTF is a non-profit social public welfare organization set up under the aegis of the prestigious All-China Women's Federation. Its prime purpose is to raise, foster, educate and develop the work of children and teenagers, particularly in remote districts and poor areas of minority-nationality regions. A recent development means the public can now donate modest monthly sums to the fund via their mobile phones.

As Song Liying explains, the long-established fund has won wide approval for the way in which it also acts as a safety net in providing financial and material aid in areas which have suffered calamities such as earthquakes, major fires and floods. Another arm of CCTF's activities stretches to the establishment of kindergartens, children's welfare homes, orphanages and even social clubs. While the CCTF continues to make a huge difference to the lives of young people in China's hinterland, it can point with particular pride to its fertile "Spring Bud Plan", introduced in 1989, which focuses on providing education for young girls from poor areas with high levels of illiteracy. As much through tradition as uneven development in such societies, girls in particular lose out because parents give priority to the education of sons difficult though even this is in many poor families. The bottom line is that when household funds are low, girls are invariably the first casualties in the drop-out stakes.

Song estimates that two-thirds of illiterates in country areas are girls. "But today's girls are future mothers," she points out. "We at CCTF are very conscious that the quality of mothers affects the quality of the whole Chinese nation, which is why under the Spring Bud Plan we begin with the education of girls. CCTF has set up a special practical technology training fund for the girls. Those who have had their schooling interrupted for financial or cultural reasons-the drop-outs -can attend these special practical technology classes and both increase their general knowledge and learn to depend on themselves.Currently, the Spring Bud Plan operates in 29 provinces, cities and autonomous regions of China. Some 300 million yuan has been collected and dispersed by CCTF, and 1.05 million drop-out girls have returned to their classrooms.

Song is quick to express CCTF's gratitude to many international companies which support Spring Bud, including IBM, Ericsson and Shell. Also of particular note are Ernst & Young, one of the world's leading professional services organizations, which handles CCTF's financial affairs without charge.

In further acknowledging such help, Song adds: "Not only has the Spring Bud Plan helped guarantee the education of poor girls across the country while improving the teaching facilities in poverty-stricken areas, it also serves as a pioneering program in poverty relief and thus greatly influences the development of social welfare undertakings in China."

Recent years have also seen CCTF reinforce its aid activities by introducing the likes of its "Safe and Healthy Growth Project", whose ongoing aim is to provide children with healthy environments in increasingly complicated social surroundings, and through education helping to turn them into highly qualified people of special value to society.

Song says determinedly: "We work to keep children away from dropping out of school, away from ill health, injuries and crime, and to emerge as a new generation with scientific and cultural knowledge, a strong physique and healthy character."