OPINION> Commentary
Proper use of donations
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-11-21 07:48

The misuse of some Project Hope primary schools shows that the donations should be protected from being used for other purposes, says an article in China Youth Daily. The following is an excerpt:

In Changyang Tujia autonomous county, Hubei province, an economically backward county, only 18 out of 76 Project Hope primary schools that had been built in the mid- and late 1990s are still in normal operation now. The rest have long been used for other purposes like crop fields, pig or chicken shelters, offices for village government or even waste land. Experts said it is not an isolated case in the province and even the whole country.

The misuse obviously goes against the will of donors for these schools. The online postings condemning the misuse of these donation-built primary schools indicate that the public's enthusiasm for charities has been dampened.

Donation for education is an important form of charity. In developed countries, many schools were built under the sponsorship of individuals. For example, the University of Chicago was co-founded by oil magnate John D. Rockefeller; Stanford University was founded by the Stanfords; Cornell University was founded by Ezra Cornell. Their donations are managed by independent commissions and their founding visions guaranteed by the agreement upon donation.

As the time passes by, changes are inevitable. The US government took over Cornell University later due to economic reasons, but the government still abides by the former agreement. The donated things cannot be changed for other purposes even because of irresistible factors and the initial wishes of the donators should be respected and cherished. No donors want to find that their donations have been turned into sedans or exquisite banquets for government officials.

As for the school-turned-pig-houses, the government is blamed for the lack of foresight and scientific planning. But even when the government does have foresight and plans, it is inevitable to have some changes that we may not have expected.

The misuse of Project Hope primary schools shows that it is better for private organizations rather than government departments to be engaged in philanthropic undertakings. China should greatly encourage the growth of private charitable institutions when our society develops to a certain stage. It can protect the enthusiasm of donors and safeguard the prestige of the government.

(China Daily 11/21/2008 page8)