Approximately one year ago, the "Building Bridges for Love" public welfare initiative was jointly launched by the China Children and Teenagers Fund and the Binzhou Shiping Public Welfare Foundation. This initiative, established in memory of the late founder of China Hongqiao Group, Mr. Zhang Shiping, aims to continue his legacy by promoting education in rural China.

Under the guiding principle of "Helping disadvantaged children to have a better future," the “Building Bridges for Love” initiative has committed to a five-year plan, investing a total of 30 million yuan in economically underdeveloped regions such as Yunnan Province.  The initiative aims to improve the facilities of rural schools, support disadvantaged children in compulsory education, provide care services for adolescent girls, and enhance vocational skills for female vocational students, helping more children and teenagers achieve their life dreams and have a better future. The initiative is expected to benefit more than 30,000 children and teenagers.

One year into its implementation, the “Building Bridges for Love” initiative has already made a significant impact in Yunnan Province. With an investment of 6 million yuan over the past year, the initiative has supported 10 rural schools and 10 higher education institutions, benefiting a total of 6,200 students, and helping them to complete their education. 

By achieving its expected results for the first year, the initiative has injected strong momentum into the development of education in Yunnan Province. "Building Bridges for Love" managed to light a beacon of hope for children from disadvantaged families and help them achieve their educational dreams.

Furthermore, the "Building Bridges for Love" initiative distributed scholarships to 100 scholarships to outstanding but financially challenged students.

Due to the remote location and inconvenient transportation, many rural schools in Yunnan adopt boarding systems. Therefore, hardware facilities such as cafeterias, bathrooms, and dormitories, which are closely related to the children's lives, have become one of the focuses of attention from the "Building Bridges for Love" initiative. These facilities significantly impact the living conditions of the students. Through investments in these facilities, the students not only feel the love and care from society but also draw courage to strengthen their life beliefs and pursue their educational and professional dreams.

About the Shiping Foundation:

The Binzhou Shiping Public Welfare Foundation was established in memory of the late founder of China Hongqiao Group, Zhang Shiping. In order to inherit the spirit of Zhang Shiping and practice social responsibility, the current CEO of China Hongqiao Group, Zhang Bo, along with Zhang Hongxia and Zhang Yanhong, launched the Shiping Foundation after Zhang Shiping's passing in May 2019.

Each year, the Shiping Foundation supports 10 outstanding research groups at the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences with a prize fund of 10 million yuan to encourage innovators in the field of applied science and technology to excel in their research and achieve breakthroughs.

Furthermore, the Shiping Foundation is contributing to the development of rural China by constructing and furnishing educational facilities and providing support, especially to girls from low-income backgrounds, to enable them to lead healthier and better lives, pursue their dreams, and nurture local talent.

Source:魏桥创业 Weiqiao Pioneering Group Official WeChat Account