Shame of a Nation

Second graders of the Yanshang Elementary School do not have their own classroom. The rented farm barn cost CNY 400 per year. Yanshang Elementary School is in Kunzhai Township of Nayong County in Guizhou Province. Lucky them, the school had been picked by a number of charity organizations, as well as the provincial government as a model site for free lunch. Before, most 274 students could not afford to pack lunch. For many families, a bowl of rice can only be found at dinner table on the New Year's Eve.

A lunch cost CNY 2.3 ($0.40) but it's so much for the kids. Some even took their young siblings to share one dish. Hangzhou Charity Union's free lunch project received CNY 1.12 million donations in a week. A group-buy website sold 30 thousands lunch donations at CNY 2.3 a piece in 2 days. The free lunch project was organized by a local charity 'Love Nayong'. The first meal was made ready on April 14. Premier Wen Jiabao announced in August that the central government would pick up the bill to provide free lunch for poor students across the country.

LAST DAY! $10 donation can make a difference to a Chinese child in Need

Save Chinese Children (OSCCF) is a 501(c) organization aims to help sick kids to obtain medical assistance.

Overseas Chinese Education Foundation (OCEF) is a 501(c) organization aims to provide education opportunity to poverty kids.

Both organization are participating the Facebook/Causes Giving America Challenge. The challenge ends at 15:00 Friday Nov 6, 2009 EST (4:00 am Saturday Nov 7, 2009 Beijing Time). The challenge counts how many people (only once per day is allowed) donate to a charity and will award top 10 winners.

Unlike most other charities, both organizations boasts $0.00 operation cost in history of several years. Both are all volunteers organization and volunteers donates time as well as essential overhead. Donors can be assured that their money are 100% given out by these two organizations.

Click here to donate for OSCCF; click here to donate for OCEF.

It is the last day of the month long challenge. The last day is often the most important and decisive day in the making of history. Help Chinese children by giving $10. Your $10 could be the key to tip off $50,000 award to be used on Chinese kids. You do not need a facebook account to donate.

Chinese Education and Children Charities Led in Facebook Giving Challenge

OCEF (Overseas China Education Foundation) and OSCCF (Save Chinese Children) are leading in the Facebook Giving Challenge. Both organizations were actively involved in the Sichuan Earthquake relieve. Both organizations boasted zero overhead, as all formal members work on volunteering basis.

You can give to support education and well being of Chinese children, our future.

80% of Earthquake Donations Ended Up in Government Accounts

A study by Qinghua University revealed that 80% of earthquake donations after last year's Sichuan Earthquake ended up in government accounts. A historic 76.7 Billion RMB Yuan was raised after the 5/12/2008 earthquake. Many of the donors are themselves in need, but still gave whatever they had in hand to the victims of the disaster that took away thousands of lives.

A team led by Guosheng Deng of the Public Management College of Qinghua University conducted a study on the donation. They found 80% of the donation made by individuals and companies ended up in government accounts in the form of extra tax revenues. Although only 58% of the donations were directly made to government accounts, those made to various charities were in the end taken away by the government.

The study was publicized on the 'Exhibition of Charity Projects and Community Organization 5.12 Activity Forum' held on August 12, 2009 in Beijing.

Guosheng Deng is an associate professor and director of the NGO Institute of the Qinghua University. He received a J.D. from the People's (Renmin) University.

Call for Help: Earthquake Relief

Dear Colleagues,

As you have heard from the news, south-western areas of China were struck by a deadliest earthquake two days ago. As I am reading and monitoring all news sources, the death toll has been mounting from a few thousands to the current 14 thousands confirmed, with more still buries under rubbles and many remain missing. While most attention has been drawn to the central of the disaster, Wenchuan, it is likely that peripheral regions such as Mianzhu suffered worse. Also, as the earthquake happened in school time, many of the victims are children attending classes. In some areas, a whole generation were lost when a major school building in the town collapsed. The most devastated areas are located in deep of mountains of Sichuan Basin. The most significant bottleneck of the relief operation has been to get more rescue people and resources into the area due to bad weather, mountain collapses and consecutive landslides.

My family in northern China was not affected by the earthquake. Thank you for your caring and comforting messages. While rescue teams are risking their lives racing with time trying to help people who lost, suffered, and many still waiting to be found, I would kindly ask that you make a donation, large or small to the relief effort of this disaster. In a disaster of this scale, any help could be used, and any help would make a difference.

I am not sure on the College EMail list policy, so I am sending this to you, my colleague in the same department, or had been in a same department. Please feel free to forward it to other colleagues and friends you know. I find following charities who are accepting donation for the earthquake online:

• American Red Cross
  
• Mercy Corps
  
• International Red Cross
  

Thank you for taking time reading this message. I will try to answer any questions you may have regarding the disaster and the relief effort. You may tell me the amount of your generous gift. For each dollar you give, I pledge to run one mile in local race events, the registration fees of which should benefit local charities and schools. Thank you very much.

The Death of Yang Dan

朱门狗肉臭，路有冻死骨。

The story has no eye-catching plot. A little girl Yang Dan(in white coat standing in the front) suffered from heart disease died after her parents failed to raise money for the surgery.

However, the heartbreaking details could sicken any reader: the girl was in Beijing, a city of 10 million with per capita GDP of $4000. Local residents not only refused to help, but they also tried to stop other people offering a hand because they believed all beggars were cheaters. Many fund raising events had been held. Many charities had been contacted. Many people had been involved. In the end the 7 years old girl died. She could have been saved if a critical surgery could have been performed.

The cost of the surgery? A mere 20,000 RMB, or $2,500.

No price tag should be attached to a human life. But I have to admit, if it were $25,000 or some amount that out of reach of 'ordinary' people, I myself might have been less disturbed. This $2,500 killed any confidence left of the Beijing people, as well as the government of course.

sources: Autumn - For a Girl in My Memory

Grace China is a website set up by Mr. Zhang Renjie, the author and photographer of the article referred above. Living a poverty live himself, Mr. Zhang committed on a mission to help other underprivileged people. From a 5 square meters rented room /office in Beijing, he helped many.