 New beginnings
By BAO WANXIAN (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-09-15 07:21
On the first day of September, Wen Xin, a 14-year-old student from Guanzhuang Hope School, met her 52 classmates for the first time since they were separated by the May 12 earthquake that leveled their hometown in Qingchuan county in Sichuan province. "It was a memorable day for me and the 300 students in our school. After 111 days of hard rebuilding work, we are starting the new semester today in 37 new classrooms," Wen says. "It's special for me because my first class is computer class and I'll be sharing 50 wonderful computers with my classmates," Wen says. "No one in my dormitory could sleep in last night because of the new semester and our new computer classes," she adds, smiling. "And today, I'll also have my first electronic mailbox." According to headmaster Yang Farong, Guanzhuang Hope School is the largest Hope School among the 100 Hope Schools built in earthquake-stricken Sichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu and Yunnan provinces, which includes 37 prefabricated classrooms and 60 school dormitories. And Guanzhuang Hope School is the first rebuilt school in Sichuan province with new computer classrooms, thanks to the joint efforts of United States-based Proctor & Gamble (P&G) and Hewlett Packard (HP), which put the computers in two computer classrooms in less than four months. P&G and HP also donated construction materials and teaching facilities, such as the sports areas and libraries. "All this will play a significant role in ensuring the school's normal operation," Yang says. "This is the first time that the two companies have worked in partnership for a corporate social responsibility (CSR) project and to sponsor the Hope Schools in China," Tu Meng, executive director of China Youth Development Foundation (CYDF), says. CYDF founded Project Hope, a charity program for building primary schools in China's poverty-stricken rural areas. "Whether we can resume all the students' classes in due time is the most significant problem that will affect the short-term earthquake-rescue work and the long-term psychological rehabilitation work for students in some of the worst-hit areas in Sichuan province," Tu says. Classroom boost P&G and HP are dedicated to help fill the growing demand for computers and modern technologies for students who live in China's rural areas, says Christopher D Hassall, vice-president of P&G China. Since 2003, P&G has been expanding partnerships with retailers, suppliers and corporations and this time it invited HP to take part. "HP's professional technology and facilities will better upgrade the education quality in China's rural area," Hassall says. The two companies say they will continue working together to rebuild 20 Hope Schools in earthquake-stricken Sichuan, Gansu, Yunnan and Shaanxi provinces by the end of 2010. Hassall says support for Project Hope is a long-term CSR cause for P&G in China. P&G has donated more than 3.05 million yuan for 20 new Hope School facilities and HP has prepared more than 500 HP computers, equipped with printers, video cameras and earphones for the schools. Under HP's Hope School Computer Training Program more than 200 HP employees will participate as volunteer trainers for teachers and students at the 20 schools. HP has also developed supervision software linking its central support system with Hope School's computers in order to solve any technical problems that may arise. "For HP, we hope the hi-tech facilities will benefit to promote a higher level of educational work in China's rural areas," says Isaiah Cheung, vice-president and general manager of HP China's computer product group. According to the school headmaster, some of the students of Guanzhuang Hope School watched the Beijing Olympic Games in school via computers. "And all the teachers and students will catch the Beijing Paralympic Games on computers," Yang adds. As one of the top partners for Project Hope, P&G has extended a helping hand to needy children for more than 12 years. "And we're exploring new ways to help students and bring a higher level of education to more of them," says Hassall. (China Daily 09/15/2008 page8) |
