Poverty Alleviation by China Children and Teenagers Fund

　　【Overview】 Founded on July 28, 1981, China Children and Teenagers Fund (CCTF）is the first independent non-profit charity organization in China under the administration of the All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF). Over the 31 years since its inception, adhering to the tenet of helping the state develop children and teenagers’ public welfare through fostering, cultivating and educating children and teenagers, based on social needs, China Children and Teenagers Fund has organized the implementation of “Spring Bud Project”, “Safe & Healthy Growth Project” and the “Action to Eliminate Infants’ Anemia” and raised a total of 2.286 billion Yuan of social funds. The projects have benefited more than ten million poverty-stricken children and made a positive contribution to the implementation of the basic national policy of promoting the implementation of the gender equality and children first principle and the poverty alleviation and development work in China.

2011  is the 30th anniversary of China Children and Teenagers Fund. On the one hand, taking the opportunity of its 30th anniversary, through a series of diversified commemorative activities, China Children and Teenagers Fund strived to promote the charity culture of helping the poor to show the charity work’s results and enhance the social influence of charitable course. On the other hand, based on the further implementation of the “Spring Bud Project” and the “Safe & Healthy Growth Project”, it developed and implemented the new public welfare project - the “Action to Eliminate Infants’ Anemia” to inject new vigor and vitality for its development.

　　【Spring Bud Project】Initiated by China Children and Teenagers Fund in 1989 based on the dropout situation of school-age children in China, the “Spring Bud Project” is a public welfare brand project designed to help the dropped out children return to campus and solve their living and learning difficulties to promote the development of education industry in impoverished regions. Along with the changes in situation, the program continued to expand and enrich its connotation. Through conducting the “Spring Bud Action for Poor Student Aiding”, Growth Action, Employment Action and Special Action for Left-behind Children, it strives to seek welfare for children and teenagers.

　　In 2011, the "Spring Bud Project" continued to focus on funding the education of poor areas and invested more than 52 million Yuan to newly build 26 Spring Bud schools and subsidize 27,000 primary, secondary and university students in poor areas. It trained 390 teachers for the Spring Bud schools and pre-school education and played a positive role in promoting the education-based poverty reduction of China.

　　【Safe & Healthy Growth Project】As a public service brand project launched by China Children and Teenagers Fund in May 2000, the “Safe & Healthy Growth Project” is designed to prevent children and teenagers from dropping out of school or from succumbing to illness, injury, or crime”, aiming to solve a series of new pressing problems encountered in the mind and body development and healthy growth of children and teenagers. Focusing on the safety and health of children, the program further mobilized social forces to actively support and get involved in the children public welfare and make a contribution to the anti-poverty work of China through the vigorous implementation of the “Safe & Healthy Growth Project – Child Safety Education”, Safe & Healthy Growth Project – Children’s Nutrition and Health” and the “Safe & Healthy Growth Project – Children’s Medical Assistance”.

　　In 2011, based on the safety and health of children, the Safe & Healthy Growth Project invested a total of more than 65 million Yuan for the construction of 21 “Ankang Libraries”, one “Safe Experience Center” and ten “Safe Experience Classrooms”. In the western impoverished regions, the program provided free medical services and disease screening services for 2844 children, subsidized 406 needy children to receive medical treatment for the amblyopia, supported the construction of one “Medical Training Center for Amblyopia Patients" and one "Medical Service Center for Amblyopia Children”. The ten injured and disabled children’s rehabilitation centers in Sichuan have been set up and put into use.

　　【Action to Eliminate Infants’ Anemia】 The Action to Eliminate Infants’ Anemia is a public welfare project launched by the All-China Women’s Federation, the Ministry of Health and China Children and Teenagers Fund on May 30, 2011 on the basis of in-depth survey on the nutrition situations of the children in impoverished regions of rural China. It is designed to distribute care nutrition packages (nutritional supplements of infant food) for the infants of 6 to 36 months in poverty-stricken areas and organize health education for the parents of infants to prevent and improve the anemic condition and health quality of infants, popularize nutrition knowledge and enhance the level of scientific feeding of poor families. This project was first launched in 35 key counties of 11 western provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) for national poverty alleviation. The overall objective of the project is to cover 7.86 million 0-3-year-old infants of 592 key counties for poverty reduction. The Action to Eliminate Infants’ Anemia has aroused extensive public concern and got support from all circles of society. As of the end of 2011, it had raised a total of more than 30 million Yuan of donations.

　　In order to guarantee the scientific implementation of the “Action to Eliminate Infants’ Anemia”, after the project was launched, we successively set up the National Coordination Team for the “Action to Eliminate Infants’ Anemia” and the National Expert Technical Guidance Team for the “Action to Eliminate Infants’ Anemia” and issued the “2011-2012 Project Management Plan for the ‘Action to Eliminate Infants’ Anemia’”. From August to October, we organized the completed the public bidding and production for the “care nutrition packages”. On October 28, we held in Beijing the national project training meeting and distributed the project manuals and training materials. From November 1 to 19, the National Expert Technical Guidance Team of the project carried out the baseline survey in the project areas - Pucheng County of Shaanx, Xiushan County of Chongqing, Pingtang County of Guizhou and Yuanzhou District of Ningxia Autonomous Region. After the careful preparations, on December 18, 2011, the distribution of care nutrition packages was comprehensively started, covering 230,000 infants in 35 national key counties of 11 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in China's western areas.

　　【Diversified relief activities】  Adhering to its tenet, to meet the needs of society, China Children and Teenagers Fund continued to promote the scientific development of children charity cause through diversified relief. In 2011, steady progress was made in the public welfare activities: On the basis of providing warm sweaters for 600,000 disabled organs in China, we continued to implement the Eternal Love Action in 26 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities as well as Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, mobilized warmhearted parents to weave sweaters for and send warmth to the disabled orphans; The “China Children Insurance Special Fund” provided public insurance for 165,000 poverty-stricken children and orphans in 14 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in China; The “China Warmth 12.1 Love Fund” subsidized 14,569 orphans and poor children affected by AIDS; “May First Bag” project donated many bags and stationeries for 17,000 Grade I students of 200 primary schools in China; The activity of "Sound of Music - I Want to Go to School" continued to subsidize more than 2000 needy children through the “one-for-one” pattern; The “VitaMeal Project” distributed 60,000 bags of Vitameals for the children from needy families of Qinghai and Ningxia; The sports public welfare project of “Let Me Play” set up 57 “Let Me Play” bases to benefit more than 100,000 migrant and left-behind children; The "Cargill Rural Education Project" was completed, which helped 21 primary schools of poor areas build or renovate the teaching buildings and schoolhouses and constructed the “Cargill Love Library” for 20 schools, directly benefiting more than 50,000 children in poor areas.

　　【30-year anniversary commemoration】 In 2011, to celebrate its 30-year anniversary, through holding a series of commemoration activities, China Children and Teenagers Fund displayed its anti-poverty achievements over the three decades since its inception to further carry forward the charity spirit, enhance the sense of public service of the people and improve the social influence of charity. Specific work it did included: First, report its work to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council to further clarify the development direction. In June 2011, the All-China Women’s Federation and China Children and Teenagers Fund specially submitted the “Report on the Three Decade’s Work of China Children and Teenagers Fund” to the leaders of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Wen Jiabao, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Hui Liangyu, Wang Zhaoguo and Liu Yandong respectively gave important instructions and Chen Zhili, Peng Peiyun and Gu Xiulian respectively wrote inscriptions to fully affirm the work of China Children and Teenagers Fund over the past three decade, put forward new and higher requirements on the future work and made clear the development direction of China’s child charity. Second, hold international charity forums to set up a charity platform. On June 8, 2011, for the first time, China Children and Teenagers Fund successfully held the “International Forum on the Development of Philanthropy and the Innovation of Social Management”. More than 300 people shared the forum’s results, including professional experts from domestic and overseas charity organizations and representatives of the Found. This forum is a successful exploration of China Children and Teenagers Fund to strengthen the international exchange and cooperation and showed the responsibility, mission and industry leading role of China Children and Teenagers Fund as the first public welfare fund of China. Third, hold the 30-year anniversary commemoration meeting to further mobilize social forces to get involved and make contributions to charity. On July 15, 2011, China Children and Teenagers Fund held the 30-year anniversary commemoration meeting successfully at the Great Hall of the People. The conference comprehensively summarized the achievements and successful experienced of the Fund over the past three decades, further clarified the development ideas under the new situation, awarded 129 units and 121 individuals concerned about children charity over the past three decade and issued the “China Children Charity Award”. Before the meeting, Wang Zhaoguo, Liu Yandong, Chen Zhili and other party and government leaders cordially met with the recognized units and individuals. Fourth, on the 30th anniversary, it increased efforts on fund raising. In order to highlight the charitable spirit and evoke more units and individuals to care about and support charity, one month before the holding of the 30th anniversary meeting, China Children and Teenagers Fund held four donation ceremonies and raised more than 120 million Yuan from 78 units and individuals, fully presenting the love of the donation units and individuals for the poor and further increasing efforts on social fund raising. Fifth, carry out the activity to select moving stories in child charity and hold the award party to further expand its social influence. Since March 2011, China Children and Teenagers Fund has carried out the activity of “moving figures for China’s child charity over the past three decades”. Recommended by the provinces, autonomous regions, the city women’s federations, all circles of society and China Children and Teenagers Fund, approved by the public and assessment committee, finally, 30 moving figures were selected and 20 people were among the Finalist of the Moving Figures. On the evening of November 23, 2011, China Children and Teenagers Fund successfully held the Award Party for the “Moving Figures Dedicated to Child Charity of China over the Past Three Decades” at the CPPCC Auditorium. The event comprehensively displayed the Fund’s achievements in supporting China’s anti-poverty work jointly with all circles of society and carrying forward the charity concept that everyone can become philanthropists over the past three decades, arousing extensive public attention, praised by all circles of society. Sixth, organize charity dinners to express gratitude to the moving figures and promote the fundraising. On November 19, 2011, China Children and Teenagers Fund successfully organized a charity dinner to commemorate the 30th anniversary of its founding. On the one hand, it intended to express gratitude to the caring units and individuals that have been supporting the development of child charity and, on the other hand, it aimed to raise funds for the “Action to Eliminate Infant Anemia” through auction.

　　In addition, in order to make a comprehensive assessment on the charity work over the past three decades, China Children and Teenagers Fund invited professional institutions to conduct overall assessment on the credibility, fairness, organizational and management capacities as well as the social benefits of the public brand and projects of China Children and Teenagers Fund over the past three decades.

　　【Charitable work experience】 In 2011, in order to further clarify the development ideas and direction, China Children and Teenagers Fund comprehensively summarized its charitable work experience over the past three decades: First, we must always adhere to the direction and theme of helping poverty-stricken disadvantaged children, abide by the tenet of the Fund, find out serious problems restricting the development of children and target at the correct key child groups to make steady progress in charity through provide a temporary relief for the poor; Second, we must always adhere to brand building and continuous innovation. We should continue to implement the Spring Bud Project and Health and the Safe & Healthy Growth Project and, at the same time, develop the new brand of “Action to Eliminate Infant Anemia” to create new growth points for our work. Third, we must always be open, fair and transparent in the work and strengthen the supervision and management. We should be strict in the key links of fund raising, management and use, established strict internal management system and external oversight mechanism to receive public supervision and ensure the scientific, standardized and legalized implementation of our work. Fourth, we must always rely on and give play to the advantages of women’s organizations. Fully relying on women’s federations’ extensive organization network and the grassroots women’s federation cadres, we should give full play to the advantages of women’s federations in contacting women and children to provide a guarantee for the implementation of child charitable work. Fifth, we must mobilize social forces to actively participate in the charitable cause. We should not only give full play to the professional and resources advantages and influence of the council members, but also mobilize, guide and protect the enthusiasm of all circles of society to participate in the child charity, aiming to form joint force for the charitable work.