TAIPEI: The local chapter of World Vision announced a campaign yesterday to raise funds to help children of underprivileged families to pay for their education. The campaign is being undertaken in cooperation with Inventec Appliances Corp, which will help to raise contributions through the company's mobile phone sales.

"Helping children go to school is always one of our main priorities," said Hank Du, executive director of World Vision Taiwan, in a statement released yesterday.

"In the midst of this economic crisis, Inventec's support is coming just at the right time. It's something the children who are being helped will never forget," he added.

According to World Vision Taiwan, Inventec will donate NT$50 ($1.5) to the charity for each mobile phone it sells between July 1-31. Donation boxes will also be available in all company stores so that customers may make contributions.

World Vision Taiwan hopes to support the schooling of 45,000 children for two semesters. There's a funding shortfall of NT$86 million for the program.

World Vision has appealed for help from the public, either by way of direct donations or through the joint campaign with Inventec. The organization hopes to raise the money before the next school semester begins in the fall.

Daniel Lee, president of Inventec, which sells wire and wireless telecommunications and digital assistance products like cell phones, PDA and MP3 players, said in the statement that only through steady support from donors can needy families send their children to school, especially during this time of economic uncertainty.

A measure of the times may be derived from figures from Taiwan's Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, showing the unemployment rate in May was a record high of 5.82 percent, with 633,000 people out of work.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 07/01/2009 page2)