China Children and Teenagers' Foundation (CCTF) released the "Report on the Development Direction of Post-2015 and 2016 Charity Projects of the CCTF" at China Children's Charity Activity Day on July 28.
According to the report, Chinese children and teenagers' development environment has been further improved under the joint efforts of the whole of society. Children and teenagers in the country now have a better legal and legislative environment, as well as a better social and cultural environment, than ever before.In recent years, the concept of children's rights has been widely disseminated, and communities have displayed more and more enthusiasm towards philanthropy for children, say organizers. Central and local governments have invested more resources into children’s education and health, as well as supported the development of social-welfare organizations through the procurement of specialist professional services.
Meanwhile, the report introduces the challenges that Chinese children and teenagers are facing, including poverty and injury. Based on data from the National Bureau of Statistics, there are about 3.3–4 million children aged from 0–6 living in poverty; and around 40 percent of China's children have been maltreated in a certain forms. In addition, China has 61 million "left-behind" children (those whose parents have left them to go and find work in cities) among which some 2 million live alone without any companions and custody, leaving their quality of life, physical and mental health in a worrying situation. Besides, around 36 million children migrate with their parents and face serious issues of educational equity and social inclusion.
Accordingly, the foundation set the development direction for their key charity projects in the upcoming year.
One is for children's education; CCTF will mobilize all of society to join in the Spring Bud Program to help children, especially girls in poverty-stricken areas, by improving local educational facilities, providing resources and training teachers.
Secondly, the CCTF will continue to carry on the Safe and Healthy Growth Project to construct 200 safety experience classrooms and security emergency experience centers through donations, arrange a health plan for mothers and babies to run 3,000 classes in 19 cities promoting health knowledge, set up an emergency assistance program for children and enlarge the relief covering of childhood illness.
Thirdly, the CCTF will continue the Bud Protection Action to actively promote child-protection legislation, strengthen children's rights advocacy, enhance children's self-protection ability and their guardians' protection awareness, and provide multifaceted support, including rehabilitation, psychological interventions and legal aid to injured children and their families.
Fourth, the foundation will construct by donation 300 Children's Happy Homes for left-behind children, focus on the special needs of migrant children and youth groups by providing more extensive extracurricular activities for them, explore welfare projects to promote the development of education for disabled children to guarantee their right to education, and strengthen the study of street children, children affected by AIDS, children of prisoners and other special groups. The foundation will aim to design targeted, sustainable and replicable child welfare projects.
CCTF was the first independent, non-profit charity organization in China, established in 1981 by individuals dedicated to resolving youth welfare issues.
Since its foundation, it has raised a total of nearly 4 billion yuan ($644 million) to offer financial help to around 2.5 million girls. It has helped 523,000 girls get practical technical training, constructed by donation 1,154 Spring Bud Schools, 383 libraries, 183 security experience classrooms and centers and 349 Children Happy Homes. It has funded more than 4,600 poor children with amblyopia, cerebral palsy, hearing impairments and other major diseases; and its Eliminate Infant Anemia action has benefited more than 800,000 infants in 10 western provinces.
(Source: people.com.cn/Translated and edited by Women of China)