Funds that aids kids in need

Editor's note: British Airways has just initiated a $350,000 two year charity project in China to provide free immunization for 125,000 migrant worker's infants and improve the education, particularly reading skills, in 15 schools for migrant workers' children in Beijing. The money comes from British Airways' global charity program "Exchange for Good" in cooperation with UNICEF. General Counsel of British Airways Robert S Webb and Dale Rutstein, chief of communication with the UNICEF Office for China's Private Sector Partnership Department talked with China Business Weekly reporter Liu Jie about the project, the "Exchange for Good" program, and UNICEF's role in it.

Q: Could you tell us a little bit about the migrant workers' children project.

Webb: We have donated $350,000 from our "Change for Good" program to help UNICEF support 125,000 migrant children' vaccinations and educations in 15 migrant children' schools in Beijing within two years.

We have visited the schools in three districts for migrant workers' children and local vaccination centers. We have been thoroughly impressed with the professional way the money is being put to use and with the extreme enthusiasm of the people who are working in the places we visited. We very much hope that it will improve the lives of these children both in immunization and in some cases through reading materials.

Rutstein: UNICEF is very grateful to receive the support from British Airways' "Change for Good" program for migrant children in Beijing. There are 150 million migrant people from rural villages living in urban areas in China, including almost 25 million children. I think as most people are aware that because of the "hukou" system, migrant children particularly have a difficult time, as basic central services that they need to grow, to develop, to thrive are difficult for them to access in cities.

UNICEF has been working with the National Working Committee on Children and Women of the State Council and a number of other government ministries to improve the way services are delivered to migrant children.

This project focuses on the urgent problem of immunization, which is a key public health effort, and support for basic education centering on improving reading skills for primary school children.

As you know, if you want a vaccination to be effective, you have to reach a certain percentage of the population to suppress the disease, or whatever transmits the disease. So it's crucial that you reach about 85 percent of the children for the immunity to work for every one.

So we should have a very good immunization program. China does have a very good immunization program in urban areas but only for the registered children. The unregistered children then undermine the program, because you have a large number or a significant number of children who don't have immunity and disease can spread among those children and can even eventually threaten the whole population of children.

So, it's central to the program that we support efforts to ensure they are completely immunized.

Then in the area of education, we are really focusing our support on reading skills, and improving the way migrant children schools teach that fundamental skill. Reading is central for success in all areas of primary education.

Q: What is the "Change for Good" program? And in addition to the current project, has "Change for Good" ever supported other charity projects in China partnering with UNICEF?

Webb: The idea of "Change for Good" is a simple one: as people fly across different countries, the money in their pockets becomes no use in the countries they fly to. We have 2,000 member of our cabin group, who ask the passengers to donate their spare money and give it to UNICEF. This partnership with UNICEF has been going on for 15 years, and it has raised more than 250 million yuan.

Before the migrant children support project, we have done three in China in the past with UNICEF. During 1995 to 1996, British Airways donated 63,000 British pounds to children's institutions (homes for abandoned children) in China; from 1996 to 1997, we donated 75,000 British pounds to support breast feeding and a young children nutrition program, and between 2000 and 2001, we donated 100,000 British pounds to help drop-out children go back to school here.

Q: Amid the global financial crisis, airlines are facing a most difficult time. Do you worry that money raised by the "Change for Good" program will decrease? Will it impact your charity programs, for example, the migrant children schools' support project in Beijing?

Webb: It is a very interesting phenomenon. Last year was the worst year for airlines for many years, yet the donation for "Change for Good" increased from 2007's 1.2 million British pounds to last year's 1.3 million British pounds.

I think this is because donors recognized programs must be continued. There is no point going into a country, giving a big party, and going out again. And I think the donors understand this. Over the years, the "Change for Good" has been going on, the donation's have also increased.

Q: In addition to the media, do you have other areas where consumers can know where the money for "Change for Good" goes?

Webb: Sure. We show in-flight videos on flights of British Airways, and they will see a picture of some UNICEF projects. We also put a magazine in seat bags with a large pictorial showing UNICEF achievements. You can also find related information on our website.

Q: What role does UNICEF play in British Airways' philanthropic programs in China?

Webb: We share the partnership with UNICEF, because very often with these programs it is difficult to be sure the program will reach the people it is intended to reach. But with UNICEF, you can be sure that the delivery of the program will be effective.

In meantime, UNICEF has an expert presence on the ground in Beijing. We come and go away, because we are airlines, but they stay here all the time and they have doctors, and education workers here who permanently monitor the situation.

Rutstein: UNICEF has nutrition experts working on a daily basis with the government counterparts in implementing all our programs, and our role is to really monitor and to provide technical advice. So that's the basic relationship we have. We mobilize resources, we help plan these kind of projects, and then we work with government personnel to actually provide the services.

As an UN agency, we don't act like a NGO or other charities in China. In other words, we don't go and find disadvantaged children and direct our services for them. We actually are the monitor and operator of programs here, an agency between Chinese governmental departments and donators.

(China Daily 02/09/2009 page8)