Charity
Thursday, 15 July 2010 08:07
Written by Christofer Lloyd

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Run by a group of expat volunteers, Heart to Heart Shanghai helps fund vital heart surgery for children whose families could not otherwise afford to pay the medical fees. They also provide light relief for children undergoing surgery with daily volunteer-led play sessions.

Charity
Thursday, 01 April 2010 05:04
Written by Christian Seiersen

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Micro-loan experts Wokai launch in Shanghai

It started in 2006 with a US$300 loan to an impoverished woman in Sichuan. Two young Americans studying in Tsinghua observed first-hand how such a small sum of money allowed Mrs. Wei to open a food stall and how she soon started earning a stable income with which she could pay for her child’s education and healthcare. Having seen the relative ease with which the loan was paid back and its life-changing capabilities, Courtney McColgan and Casey Wilson made it their calling to provide similar opportunities to others in some of China’s most poverty-stricken areas. Wokai was born.

In the number-crunching world of banking, people with few possessions offer little insurance should they fail to pay back a loan. Throw in a rural location, lack of financial training and the modest amount of money a bank will recoup from small loans, and you’re left with the bottom line that lending to the impoverished is deemed a risk not worth taking. This leaves a sizeable chunk of the Chinese population with no chance to borrow money to improve their living standards.

Opening a branch in Shanghai this month, Wokai utilizes the practice of microfinance. Pioneered by Muhammed Yunus in 1980s Bangladesh and India (work for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize) it is the awarding of micro-sized loans to people who would otherwise have no access to capital, so that they can start their own businesses.

Wokai raise money via their accessible website (www.wokai.org) where they put people from around the world in touch with rural dwellers from Yilong County in Sichuan Province and Chifeng County in Inner Mongolia. Aspiring recipients can post profiles of themselves which include information like name, background, how much money they need and what they will spend it on.
Money donated then goes through Wokai’s field partners, experienced microfinancing institutions that use the benefit of local knowledge to determine the most viable options for a loan. As well as helping recipients post their profile, they also train them in running a small business and money management.

So far 297 people worldwide have benefited from this process. The typical recipient is a woman earning less than US$1.25 a day and the most popular use is for agricultural projects. But there are no limits – one entrepreneur bought a phone and charged her village to use it. They are also remarkably successful; to date 98.4 percent of loans have been paid back on time. Lehman Brothers, eat your heart out.

Only around 10 profiles are on the website at any one time, to ensure that each of the candidates is worthwhile and that they receive sufficient exposure to raise the full amount. Regulations in place in China prevent money that has entered the country from leaving it, which is why money is donated by individuals rather than loaned. Once it is repaid by the initial borrower, the donator decides who the loan should help next. In this way each donation keeps giving, assisting an unlimited number of people over time.

The Shanghai chapter is their sixth, following on from Beijing, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Seattle and New York, all of which raise awareness and funds for their two microfinance projects. Erica Chain, one of the founding members of the Shanghai branch, credits the website’s success to its ease of use. “You can pick your applicant, sit back and watch as your loan gets repaid.” The success has translated into 896 worldwide contributors and over US$150,000 raised in loans.
Wokai’s appeal lies in the personal experience it offers donors and the fact it makes economic sense. The loans are providing jobs, skills and opportunities to people in China’s poorest regions. Wokai is hoping to raise US$1 million by 2011 and to have helped 2,000 borrowers, and is setting its sights on more of China’s rural regions this year. The chance to change someone’s life is just a click away. Wokai are celebrating the launch of the Shanghai Chapter and their new 2.0 website (www.wokai.org) with a party at Maya at 6pm on Wednesday, April 7. Admission is RMB120 which gets you a drink and canapes (Maya donate RMB100 of it to Wokai)

Charity
Thursday, 01 April 2010 03:04
Written by Christopher Nudd-Mitchell

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Caring for kids of executed and imprisoned parents

Children whose parents are executed suffer tremendous emotional pain. Besides the obvious trauma of losing a parent, there are frequently other associated issues. For some, one parent may have killed the other parent, often after the child has witnessed years of repeated violence. Many have themselves been subjected to physical abuse or neglect themselves. They also have to cope with stigmas and prejudices from society. Often nobody wants to take care of them, considering children of convicts to be criminals themselves.

This is where Morning Tears steps in. A non-profit organization registered under Belgium, Spanish and Chinese law, it works primarily for children whose parents are in prison or have been executed. It all began in 1999 when Koen Sevenants visited a home in Xi’an that had been established by three former judges who realized that there was a need to look after the children who were left to care for themselves when their parents had been executed or imprisoned. On discovering the judges were running out of funds, Sevenants founded Morning Tears.

Carrying on the judges’ work, Sevenants transformed the children’s home into a ‘Children Village,’ a center with five operational objectives: To provide a safe and suitable living environment for the children; to ensure that basic needs for the children are provided; to give psychological support for children to overcome their trauma and strengthen their resilience; to prepare and assist the children for integration in society and to develop life skills; and to help children to develop their full potential.
 
The project proved successful and a second Children Village was opened in San Yuan, while a new concept is being initiated in Zhangzhou, Henan Province. The Coming Home Project (CHP) is a reaction to studies that demonstrate that foster care offers better opportunities for child development, so family units of four to eight children and one or two caregivers (depending on size) are placed together for home-based care. Here they participate in the daily life of a small home while at the same time benefiting from the support of their peers.


A non-political, non-profit and non-religious organization, Morning Tears also provides training and advice for organizations, governmental agencies and individuals on how to help vulnerable and traumatized children. All this costs money though, and they depend on donations to help the children. They want to build more homes, help more children and, most importantly of all, to keep their promise to the children that they are already helping. To do that they need your help. To donate to Morning Tears visit www.morningtears.org.cn, or for volunteer options email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 010 8406 2467

Charity
Monday, 22 March 2010 02:03
Written by Rosemary Zhu

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Photographer, activist, wife of real estate tycoon Vincent Lo and former Miss Hong Kong Loletta Chu Lo has her first solo photo exhibition “Beautiful Nature, Beautiful Sight” in Xintiandi in April. The works were auctioned in Hong Kong last month. Proceeds went to “Seeing is Believing,” a campaign to help people suffering from eye disease in mainland China.

Not wanting to attract attention, Lo walked into Fountain restaurant in Xintiandi last week wearing a white silk blouse, Tang Dynasty coat and comfy boots.

“I like to stay away from crowds when I’m taking photos and doing charity work.” She said as she shook loose her top-knot, revealing a tumble of soft curled, jet-black hair.

Lo shared some of her thoughts on photography, the challenges of celebrity charity work, and her plans for the next year

When did you start photographing? And why?
I was interested in photography since high school, but I didn’t start professional training until 1994. Photography made me realize that we need to appreciate the things around us. A toddling child, an elegant lady, a flower bud…all these can be very inspiring. But of course, you need to appreciate them with you eyes. And that’s why I participated in this “Seeing is Believeing” Champaign to help those who are suffering for eye diseases.

Your works in the photo exhibition are mainly flowers. You like nature photography?
I am fascinated by all plants. Not only flowers, but as well as branches, roots and trees. They amazed me with their beauty and stillness. Actually, the reason I chose the theme of flowers is that I wanted something that is visually pretty and easy to hang up, for the sake of the auction.

Your 40 photographs raised more than 3 million HKD. Can you tell us more about this charity campaign?
To celebrate its 150th anniversary, Standard Chartered partnered with ORBIS International to launch the “Seeing is Believing” project. My works were put up for silent bidding in Hong Kong last month. Combined with Standard Chartered Bank’s dollar-to-dollar matching contribution, all money raised will go to help eye surgeries, medical training as well as providing general eye health care education.

The works already sold, why bring them to Shanghai?
It’s about raising public awareness. I hope the exhibition will help mainlanders realize how serious eye disease problems are in China.

You visited the visually impaired children in Dalian recently. How was the trip?
I was really touched. I saw those young kids who were suffering from eye disease. They’re as lovely as any other kids. If the kids’ can be treated, they will be able to have proper education, their moms won’t have to stay home and care for them, their fathers will have a lesser financial burden. It’s going to change the future of the whole family.

Loletta visits children in Dalian

As a former Miss Hong Kong, what’s your definition of true beauty?
I have to admit that outside beauty is hard to maintain, though I do care about it very much. On the other hand, inner beauty can be nurtured. Self-improvement, social responsibility and life experiences form true beauty.

Some celebrities doing charity work on the mainland are facing allegations of fraud … Can you share some suggestions?
It does take some skills. The high profile of celebrities helps bring media attention. However, it can also bring trouble, if they don’t know how to deal with it appropriately. According to my almost 30 year’s experience, first you have to have your heart in it. Second, you have to choose the right partner. That’s why I choose to work with ORBIS international. It is a government-registered organization which is monitored by IAPB (International Agency for Prevention of Blindness) in the UK. Last but not least, you have to follow up.

Plans for 2010?
Spend more time with my family and put more effort into photography. And of course, I won’t miss the Expo. I’ll be back in Shanghai.

April 6-18, South Block Piazza, Xintiandi, 12 noon to 10 p.m. daily, free admission

Charity
Tuesday, 16 March 2010 07:03
Written by Urbanatomy

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