Joint efforts help arouse charity awareness
By Xiao Yang (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-01-25 05:58

"I've been to Hong Kong and Macao, and I saw so many charitable organizations there, taking care of various welfare institutions as well as numerous donation activities held regularly for public participation," Zhang said. "Charity awareness is ingrained in their minds from childhood.

"It takes long-term efforts to elevate the public awareness (on the mainland) to that level."

The BCA has made it a priority in the near future to build up the "brand image" of its key projects, such as an education aid programme named "Your Love, Their Future," one for the disabled named "Help the Amputees Stand Up," and "Refueling Life," a project that helps congenital heart disease patients.

It is going to strengthen its promotion through co-operation with the media to make these projects, as well as the charitable missions, accepted by more people, Zhang said.

"Charity is not only the responsibility of the rich but also something related to everybody," she said and then borrowed an old Chinese saying: "Only when everyone contributes firewood can the flames run high."

(China Daily 01/25/2006 page5)