tALK #260

Remember my travel log last June into the hinderland of China ? My visit to Shui Po School, a two hours' drive on bumpy national highway from LanZhou, Gansu Province ? and then I said I will brief you guys on what was cooking ? Well, now its official.

China Tomorrow Education Foundation was established last month as a non-profit organization in Washington State to raise money to help as many backward village schools as possible. Yours truly is the current president working with a Board of fourteen who share the same concern of the future of China through education. They came from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam and with one white American to be politically correct.

As of this typing, China's famous director Zhang Yimou's movie "NOT ONE LESS" is supposedly showing in LAX, SFO and NYC. Seattle will have its chance this Friday for a week. This awards winning film is about a young (13 year old) school teacher's touching experience in a poor village school. All cast are non-professional. The leading lady is selected from 20,000 applicants.

The reason that I am so excited about this movie is that it is such a rare opportunity to have the conditions of many rural schools in China eloquently shown to the American general public, and Chinese American in particular, through this popular media. This movie is the perfect vehicle to carry out the message of the Foundation.

Our mission statements are:

1. Identifying the rural sections of China of education needs;

2. Evaluating these needs to match funding;

3. Presenting to the public of such substandard conditions;

4. Raising funds and supplies to upgrade these schools;

5. Monitoring the distribution of the funds and supplies.

In the past two months, we have contacted directly with five schools in Yunan, Qinghai, Xanshi, Henan and Sichuen provinces. From their principals' personal reports, most are in pretty bad shape.

From our first experience with the school in Gansu, we know how much US$1,500 can do and what a difference it made. We have now raised over $700 in operation and over $4,000 in direct aids.

I am asking those lucky Lighters living in the above cities to seek out the movie and see how certain part of China really looks like. If the showing is over, I understand that there is video out already. If not available in Blockbuster, try the local Chinatown video shops.

If touched and moved by what you see in the movie, and want to do your share in preparing the future citizens of the world community, donations to the Foundation are welcomed. Please make check payable to :

China Tomorrow Education Foundation
P. O. Box 1103
Mercer Island, WA 98040

Your cancelled check will be the receipt unless requested otherwise. Tax exemption under IRS 501(c)(3) is pending.

Please visit our web site at http://www.chinatomorrow.org www.chinatomorrow.org for other infomation about this Foundation. Thank you.
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