It was getting cold in October in the southwest of China. However, the hearts of teachers and students were full of warmth. Since September, they haven’t had to go to classes in shabby classrooms with rainwater leaking through, or had to play in a muddy playground. In a newly built building, and on a new playground, the students were reading and playing with league members from CDFG.
In the morning of October 11, 2010, the China Duty Free Hope Primary School, located in the Paifang Village of Danshan Town of Yanjiang District of Ziyang City of Sichuan Province, was bustling and bursting with happiness. Vice Secretary General Wang Min, Department Director Feng Minhui from the China Youth Development Foundation, and President Lu Lu from CDFG, together with the leaders from Sichuan Province and Ziyang City and about 2,000 teachers and students, participated in the completion ceremony of the “China Duty Free Hope Primary School in Danshan Town of Ziyang City”.
The old name of the China Duty Free Hope Primary School in Danshan Town was Paifang Primary School. In the “May 12” Great Wenchuan Earthquake, the shabby structure of the main school buildings was severely damaged, so the teachers and students had to teach and study in the dilapidated buildings. After learning about this information, CDFG contacted the China Youth Development Foundation immediately, and donated 500,000 Yuan to start the construction of new teaching building. After overcoming unfavorable natural conditions such as rainstorms, the new school was completed in September 2009. Covering an area of 7,200 square meters and structural area of 1,150 square meters, the school, which can hold 450 students, includes a teaching building, a student canteen and a staff dormitory. In order allow the children to start learning in the new school as soon as possible, CDFG also transported new desks and chairs to the school straight away.
At the completion ceremony, on behalf of the people at CDFG, President Lu Lu of CDFG handed over the online education equipment, computers, books and school supplies to the principal. Meanwhile, the commissioner of education of Yanjiang District awarded the appointment letter of honor to President Lu Lu of CDFG to appoint him as the honorary chancellor, and the Vice Secretary of General of China Youth Development Foundation gave the award of “Outstanding Public Partner in the 20 Years of Project Hope” to the China Duty Free Group. After that, on the same day, the “Love 1+1” Student Sponsorship Scheme that aims to help the teachers and students in China Duty Free Hope Primary School was launched.
President Lu Lu of CDFG said, “The completion of the China Duty Free Hope Primary School in Danshan Town is a landmark for the development of the China Duty Free Hope Foundation. As the first hope primary school we have built, it marks the focus of our charity work transferring from the construction of schools to more comprehensive and in-depth care and support. At the same time as we were celebrating the completion of the new school, we also launched the “China Duty Free – Love 1+1 Student Sponsorship Scheme”. We will ensure long-term and well organized development of student sponsorship and education support work, through “Love Communication”, “Love Supporting Education” and “Love Summer Camp”. At the beginning of this year, we have invited six teachers and students to Beijing to visit and learn through the “Love Summer Camp”. A few days ago, the representatives of league members of CDFG came here and held the “Love Communication” activity with the children. Today, we brought teaching materials such as computers and books and launched the “Love Supporting Education” activity. We want to build an interactive platform for long-term communication among the hope primary school, CDFG and even the whole China duty-free industry, so our love and public welfare activities will keep warming the children’s hearts.”
At the end of the completion ceremony, the League members from CDFG who participated in the “Love Communication” activity held a themed class, which attracted everybody. Under the guidance of brothers and sisters from CDFG, the students described their dreams. After hearing the words of these children, President Lu Lu also told them his boyhood dream. He wished that the children would form great ideals, grow up healthily and soon become the talents of China.
In the future, CDFG will continue working with the China Youth Development Foundation to construct better schools and provide a better learning environment for more children. Just like the theme of the completion ceremony of China Duty Free Hope Primary School “New Start, New Hope” says, we believe that more China Duty Free Hope Primary Schools will help more children to begin their new hope from a new starting point.