The Spring Bud Project

Today’s Girls are Tomorrow’s Mothers

In 1989, 4.8 million children in China, ages 7-14, were unable to attend school. 83% of them were girls. This shocking fact provoked deep reflection about the state of girls’ education in rural China among CCTF members and other members of Chinese society.

1.Girls are very often deprived of educational opportunities by their parents, due to poverty and gender bias in rural areas.

2.Girls without education often marry at a very young age.

In 1989, China Children and Teenagers’ Fund (CCTF) launched the Spring Bud Project, which aims to assist girls in poverty stricken regions without access to education, and to help them get back to school. According to an independent agency survey, during the past 18 years the Spring Bud Program has successfully helped sponsor the education and practical skills training of more than 1.7 million girls in China.

1.The Spring Bud Program now operates in 30 Chinese provinces >>
2.President Hu Jintao meets with Spring Bud students in Beijing, 2002. >>

Recently, the Spring Bud Project has extended its scope by focusing more attention on girls’ vocational training. CCTF has set up the Spring Bud Practical Skills Training program. With the aid of the Spring Bud Project, huge numbers of young women now can financially support themselves, and some have even started their own businesses.

The Spring Bud Project was:

• Included by the Chinese Government in “2000 China Human Rights Development” and
  “China Children Development Guideline (2000-2010).”
• Commended by the State Council in September 2003 as a “great and worthy cause to further
  improve education in rural areas.”
• Awarded the China Charity Award by the Ministry of Civil Affairs in 2005.
• Nominated to be a candidate of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goal Award.

Building a Spring Bud School:

The Spring Bud Schools are a major part of the Spring Bud Project. Since 1989, CCTF has built more than 500 schools for Spring Bud girls.

Setting up Spring Bud Classes:

CCTF supports the tuition and living expenses for Spring Bud girls. Each Spring Bud class consists of 50 girls. Spring Bud places the girls in local schools composed of the best teaching staff and boarding possible. CCTF has sponsored more than 6,340 Spring Bud classes in China, including Spring Bud university classes and Spring Bud secondary school classes.

	The first Spring Bud Class was set up in the Guangxi Province in 1989.
	In 1997, they first came to Beijing.
	Beijing 171 secondary school graduation ceremony in 2003
	Feng Guixian was a student in the first Spring Bud class in the Guangxi Province. Today, she works as a Spring Bud Teacher in her hometown after graduating from university.
	Feng Xiujuan was also a student in the first Spring Bud class in the Guangxi Province. Today, she works in a military hospital.
	Xie Yuyue graduated from the 171 secondary school Spring Bud Class. Today, she studies at a university in Beijing, and volunteers as a teacher in her hometown during summer vacation .

Spring Bud Practical Skills Training Program (Empowering the Mothers of Tomorrow):

We firmly believe in empowering women by giving them practical skills and a vision for life. So far, 30 rural practical skills teaching centers have been set up in different areas of China. This program has sponsored more than 416,000 girls in their training.

Spring Bud Poor Urban Family Assistance Program:

Spring Bud is now currently extending its helping hand to underprivileged urban families. Spring Bud especially tries to aid single-parent families. Due to the high cost of living in cities, some of these families are enduring a harder life than families living in rural China.

The Story of 30 Spring Bud Girls - Click to Enter >>>