With that thought, they sent some people to Hebei, Henan and Hubei to select appropriate target regions while some stayed in Beijing and continued to conduct some research. They went to the Science and Technology Institution under the State Education Commission. What surprised them was that they couldn't find any statistics about the out-of-school children because of poverty in the records office of this Institution at that time. All the data they could find showed the enrollment rate was more than 90% and the index of stability was more than 90%. As for the reasons of losing education, reasons are disability, mental retardation, weariness of school, family misfortune, natural disaster, man-made calamity and so on. No one had noticed that lots of children in poor areas couldn't receive education due to family poverty.
It was the right time to pay great attention to those out-of-school children in these poor areas.
After setting the goal, they needed to think of a vibrant name for this strategically meaningful undertaking, like "Jingwei[9] Act" , "Project Spring Rain" , "Project Love" … People offered many ideas and listed several names. However, none was accurate or perfect enough.
Xu Yongguang couldn't fall asleep for several nights when trying to think of a good name. In order to find one, which could exactly express the meaning of this undertaking, he referred to Cihai[10] andCiyuan[11]. All of a sudden, the word "hope" ignited his mind. He thought children were the hope of a country and education was the hope of human civilization. Furthermore, the undertaking was filled with hope. Why don't we call it "Plan Hope" ?
On the second day, when Xu Yongguang suggested the name "Plan Hope" , all of them agreed cheerfully.
Xi Jieying thought about the name for a while and said, "I think 'Project Hope' is better than 'Plan Hope'. What we are doing is not only an undertaking full of hope but also a project full of difficulty and suffering!"
Project Hope, how wonderful!
At the meeting of the Communist Youth League Central Committee Secretariat, Liu Qibao, the standing vice-president of the China Youth Development Foundation introduced the overall concept and implementation plan to the secretaries and requested for approval.
Without any objection, it passed unanimously.
The Communist Youth League Central Committee Secretariat approved: to implement Project Hope in the whole country.
Spring went and Autumn came.
On October 30, the China Youth Development Foundation whose director was Liu Yandong and Secretary General was Xu Yongguang, held a press conference in Beijing and solemnly declared to the world the first fund for aiding out-of-school youths in impoverished regions was going to be established. The aim was to help thousands of children who could not receive an education due to poverty to return to school. Project Hope aimed at uniting the forces of the whole society and to protect the fundamental right to education of poor children in impoverished regions with people's donation. This was a great project, one which had a vision for the future, benefiting future generations and improving the basic education situation of our nation.
The modes of aid of Project Hope were as follows: (1) to establish fellowships, long-term sponsoring children in poor areas with excellent academic performance and good quality but deprived of education by poverty to continue their education; (2) to build or renovate primary schools in poor villages; (3) to purchase training aids, stationery and books for poor village primary schools.
The immediate-term target was: by the next three to five years, to generally set up "Project Hope Fellowship" in the major impoverished counties of the country, realizing the aim of sponsoring out-of-school children by granting fellowships. As for some middle-school students and primary-school students with great potential but living in poverty, special fellowships would be granted, supporting them to go on with further study, right into middle schools and even colleges.
On the flag that was fluttering in the wind, it read the faith of the China Youth Development Foundation:
As long as one child who couldn't go to school due to poverty, then the mission for Project Hope would never end!
In October, maple trees turned red on Jiucai Mountain in Laiyuan County, Hebei Province. They were as red as fire, spreading all over the mountains and plains.
Fortunately, Taomugeda Village Primary School was chosen to be the first recipient target of Project Hope.
Decision of the China Youth Development Foundation on
Sponsoring Taomugeda Village Primary School
in Laiyuan County
In accordance with its aim, the China Youth Development Foundation has established the first "Fund for Sponsoring Out-of-School Students in Impoverished Regions" by raising fund. Now, we hereby decide to offer financial support to Taomugeda Village Primary School in Laiyuan County.
I. To grant "Certificate of Sponsorship for Education" to eight students including Zhang Shengli and our Foundation will bear their book expenses and fees every semester.
II. To provide a sports suit and stationery for thirteen students including Zhang Shengli free of charge
III. To purchase some teaching equipment and tools.
The China Youth Development Foundation
October, 1989.
Jiucai Mountain had never been so joyful like that day. Taomugeda Village Primary School welcomed the grandest ceremony since it was set up.
Deputy Secretary-General of the China Youth Development Foundation Xi Jieying, office Director Gu Xiaojin, the head of the county, the director of the Education Commission and the secretary of the County League Committee all made a personal appearance in this remote small mountain village, attending the ceremony of granting "Certificate of Sponsorship for Education."
Eleven out-of-school students including Zhang Shengli accepted the "Certificate of Sponsorship for Education." From that day on, they regained the right to compulsory education.
This was a landmark event-compared to more than 30 million out-of-school children all over the country, "eight" was too small a number. However, just like a little spark, which could light great fires, it showed people the light of hope…