CAOF
Quarterly
Autumn 2006 Volume
4 Issue 4
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1.
Report From the China Orchid AIDS Project
2.
Report From the Chi Heng Foundation
4.
A Donor Asks
6.
Who Will Lead the Third Annual Peony Festival Committee?
7. Update on May Yue’s Special
Project
9.
One Time Event Volunteers Needed
10.
Subscribing and
Unsubscribing
Report from The China
Orchid AIDS Project
By
Jane Cohen, COAP Director of Foreign Affairs and
Li Dan, Founder and Director
The
community center for which CAOF has provided a start-up grant, is now functioning
as a library for anyone in the community.
It will be re-opened in a month with entirely new books that are a more
appropriate selection for the members of the community. There will also be HIV/AIDS resources and materials
on sexual and reproductive health. These
resources have been made possible through funding from the French organization Aide
et Action.
In
an effort to get community members used to regularly coming to the center, there
are organized activities for children at the center every weekend. The activities are organized
by
our staff but facilitated by WHO volunteers who come out from the local
universities. These can include singing and games, reading, sports and drawing,
among others. In addition to generating
a positive community focus in the village, the activities offer kids a
consistent way of having fun and being kids and receiving nurturing adult attention
and care.
We
are currently working with a social work organization on how to address the
specific issues
faced
by HIV/AIDS affected children. Because there
is not much of a psychology/therapy culture in
We
have been working on building relationships with the people in the village, the
village head and other stakeholders.
This is essential for moving to the next step of expanding the center.
Our
HIV/AIDS affected children support program is going well, although we are
working on changing it somewhat. The
point of this program is to support the families of the children so that the
children can go to school. Our staff
checks up on every child every month, checks in on the general situation, makes
sure they are going to school, etc. Our staff is very encouraging to the
children about studying and always makes a big deal out of being proud of them
for being in school.
As an
organization, China Orchid AIDS Project has been undergoing
transition from a mostly-volunteer group to a professional group, one step
in the NGO development process. This transformation has caused some
growing pain as staff members were trying to adjust to expectations,
accountability, and organizational hierarchy. This has lead
to confusion, staff turnover, and loss of efficiency in the past three
months. Now new staff are on board and we are getting ready to continue
and expand our programs.
Due to these
problems the progress we initially projected has been affected. We are
continuing to work on our program goals, but at a much slower pace than
originally anticipated. However now that
the internal problems associated with our organizational growth have been
addressed, we hope that we will quickly regain momentum.
Although we
deeply regret the program delays caused by these changes, according to our
consultants, every NGO goes through such periods. The pain causes those
who are not committed to leave the organization, and we are left with a more
effective organization.
We send our deep
apologies to China AIDS Orphan Fund and the orphan's families we serve for the
programming delays this internal restructuring has caused. Orchid is working
hard to reform.
Editor's Note: CAOF is deeply appreciative of Jane Cohen’s
and Li Dan’s candor and willingness to be so completely transparent about the growth
pains that have required internal restructuring of the China Orchid AIDS
Project. We are naturally concerned
about these internal issues that are slowing progress toward their ambitious
goals. We are monitoring these developments closely and will make future
grants to this organization when we are confident of their organizational
health and effectiveness.
Report from the Chi Heng Foundation
Subject: our kids are growing up, proudly and away from the shadow
of aids, thank you for your support
Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2006
This is the
worst summer in terms of political sensitivity, and this is the best summer
in terms of our
achievement.
I spent the last
weekend with some of the university students we sponsor
This year 16 of
them came back to work for us. It was so
empowering to see these older children impacted by AIDS who are now in college go
back to their home villages to encourage the younger children impacted by
AIDS to study hard and not to give up.
The students in
the photo (below) are some of the students who worked for us this summer:
one studying
geology,
one studying
computers,
one studying
medicine,
one studying law,
one just
graduated from university with honors,
(and got a
government scholarship to continue graduate school)
Some of them
have lost their parents to AIDS.
Some of them
have parents living with AIDS.
Some of them
have been supported by us since secondary school.
Seeing them
studying at university,
Seeing them
helping us in the summer camp,
Seeing them
showing the younger HIV-impacted children around the university campus where
they attend classes,
Seeing them
going back to their home villages,
Working for us
as youth ambassadors,
Doing home
visits and taking care of the younger children impacted by AIDS,
Seeing them
growing up so proudly away from the shadow of AIDS,
I am so proud of
them!
What a
difference we have made for them!
Thank you for
your help to make this happen.
Thank you,
Chung To, president of the
Chi Heng Foundation recently received this letter from a young man. He has been
receiving financial support for his education, from the Chi Heng Foundation
since he was in middle school.
The writer is a sophomore in
college and from a village in
(He mentioned “my
family”. One or both of his parents may
not be dead, or he may have siblings. In
addition, Chinese commonly refer to extended family as family. )
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
亲爱的杜叔叔：
您好！
现在工作忙吗?生活还好吧!
好久没有给您去信了,今年我开学比较早,现在就在学校呢.我在内蒙古工业大学学习呢,我家是河南上X县X楼村的.你以前经常去我们那里的,您资助了我家乡很多的学生,他们现在都学习的很好的.请您放心好了!
去年受您的资助我顺利进入了XXX工业大学学习,我和全家人都是非常的感激您的,每年您都不顾夏日的酷暑来我的家乡去看望学生,您是我们每个学生的恩人啊!
杜叔叔,今年您还去我的家乡吗?我真的很想再见您一面,但我今年开学得比较早,现在就开学了啊.谢谢您对我的关爱!我不会辜负您对我的厚望的,我会珍惜这来之不易的学习机会的,在大学里面好好的深造自己,使自己早日成为合格的国家人才!我深刻地知道自己的使命,我懂得自己肩负的重担,我相信我会成功的!
杜叔叔,大学一年的生活让我经历了许多,也让我懂得了许多.脱离了高中时期那种有人约束的生活,进入做什么事情都要靠自己的大学生活,突然间的不适应那是很自然的,但我已经能够适应这种生活了,已经形成了属于自己的生活方式.大学的各个方面都需要去学习去适应,人际交往,学习方式,生活方式都是全新的,大学是融入社会前的过度阶段,我知道应该好好的去把握,我也正在努力的去做.我相信我会成功地深造出自己来的!
请您放心,我在这里会好好学习,因为我的肩上有非同一般人的重担!因为我的背后有无数双亲人的眼睛在望着我!因为我的道路上有那么多好心人支持我,为我铺好了前进的道路!
杜叔叔,祝您工作顺利!
生活和谐幸福!
好人一生平安!
致
礼！
学生:XXX
06.8.17
Dear Uncle To,
How are you? Are you busy with your work?
I have not written you for a
long time. School started early – I am
already in school. I am studying in the
Last year I received your
financial support to enter
Uncle To, Are you coming to
our village this summer? I really would like to see you. However school started early this year and I
am already on campus. Thank you for your
concerns for us. I will not disappoint
you. I will treasure this opportunity –
it is not easy to go to college, to get trained to become a useful citizen for
the country. I am deeply aware of my
responsibilities, and I believe I will succeed.
Uncle To, I experienced a
lot in my first year of college. In
high school our teacher directed us closely. Now we have to rely on ourselves, to study, to
interact with people. It is natural to feel uneasy at first, but I have adapted
to the new lifestyle in college very well.
I know college is a transition from childhood to society. I should take the opportunity to improve
myself.
Please be assured that I
will study hard. I know the burden on my
shoulders is different from on other students,’ because there are so many
people watching me; because so many kind people supporting me.
Uncle To, I wish you happiness
and luck. A good person will have a
peaceful life.
"Why
don't you report how many kids we have sent to school any more? I liked
that way of keeping track of what my money was accomplishing in
When CAOF first began, we
had one fund and all we did was pay school fees for AIDS orphans in
Realizing that school fees
provided for the most pressing, immediate need of the students, but didn't
really affect the full spectrum of their long-term needs we knew there was more
to be done. But, if we were to honor our donors initial expectations, we
knew we needed a separate fund with more flexibility than the Minneapolis
Foundation Fund that was started with the promise to provide education and
to address several short-term immediate needs.
So, in more recent years, we
have created a separate charitable organization, the China AIDS Orphan Fund, Inc., which
is independent of the Minneapolis Foundation CAOF fund but administered by the
same board. Some donors have made contributions to this fund specifically
for critical long-range solutions and capacity building for our sponsored
organizations. Others have made donations saying simply, "Do what
will provide the most good."
With these donations to the
CAOF Inc., fund, we have underwritten the cost of a China Orchid AIDS Fund-directed
village community center for an entire year. This provides a place for
AIDS orphans to come during the day for enrichment activities, homework help,
and emotional support. It also has an outreach program to educate family
members and the neighbors of AIDS victims. It is our hope that this will
build more community support for the children as well as dispel the fear and
stigma attached to surviving families of AIDS victims.
Through a grant from another
organization the center has now added a community free library with resources
that address issues surrounding the AIDS epidemic. Eventually our dreams
include staffing the center with a village nurse, specially trained in caring
for AIDS patients and social workers to deal with children's grief and loss as
well as their more practical needs of food and clothing and education. We
hope that this pilot community center will become a hub of child sponsorship
activity and community solidarity. If it continues to flourish and build
community support, we hope to establish similar centers in more villages,
enabling more and more communities to support the AIDS orphans in their
midst.
When the Chi Heng Foundation
had difficulty keeping up with all the paperwork and the growing number of kids
with needs "in the field," we gave them a small capacity building
grant to hire the clerical help they needed to keep the paperwork flowing in a
timely manner thus freeing up those who work directly with the kids to do what
they do best.
And, It often takes money
to raise money. When we needed seed money to hold our first,
annual fund-raising event, the Peony Festival, the CAOF
board did not feel comfortable using donor dollars earmarked for
children's education to do that. We wanted that money in
All of this may be
confusing, and is probably more than you really wanted to know, but it explains
how we are able to do more than send kids to school. So, although we continue
to meet the immediate needs of AIDS orphans and enable more and more kids to
receive a good education, we are also now sponsoring programs that have
long-range, community-wide implications for the future of "our" kids.
Since the
inception of COAF in March 2003, The
Minneapolis Foundation has received $132,610.00 in contributions and China AIDS
Orphan Fund, Inc. has received a total of $29,630.
We hope you now understand
why it is no longer as easy as it once was to report how many kids we have sent
to school or even how many families your contributions have
impacted. However, we hope you share in our excitement to not only provide
for the immediate needs of AIDS orphans, but to enrich systems that
will provide a stable future for them as well.
If I can help with further
clarification, please feel free to contact Peg Helminski, Communications
Coordinator, PegHelminski@aol.com or
651-739-0119.
Welcome Caroline Zhang
The China AIDS
Orphan Fund is pleased to announce the addition of Caroline Zhang to the
Board. Caroline is a native of
Caroline is
enthusiastic about CAOF and has a background in Banking and Finance.
Currently with US Bank, she worked for MEDA for two years as a Loan Analyst and
was involved with some event planning. At her first Board meeting she
already had some practical suggestions for future CAOF fund-raising
events. Her enthusiasm and experience are a very welcome addition to our
Board.
Who Will Lead The
Third Annual Peony Festival Committee?
After two years as Chair of the annual
Peony Festival, Echo Huang feels it is time to step down and let the annual
fund-raising event take a new direction. We are therefore looking for a new
Chair person to lead this important effort.
It is not necessary follow the same fund-raising gala dinner event model
as we have in the past. In fact, fresh ideas
are encouraged. To share ideas or to
have any questions answered, please phone Echo Huang at 952-693-2647.
Update on May Yue’s Special Project
May Yue is a long time partner of CAOF,
and a strong supporter of the Chi Heng Foundation (CHF) which has been one of
the most effective organizations to address the AIDS orphan disaster in central
China. May visited
There, she visited with Chung To, the
president of CHF, who has been working tirelessly on this issue since the very
beginning of the HIV epidemic in
In her effort to bring greater awareness of
the AIDS Orphan Crisis to the Minneapolis area, and raise funds for the Chi
Heng Foundation, May invited Chung to visit Minneapolis in April (see the
summer issue of this newsletter) and again in August, 2006 when Chung was on
his way to the AIDS Global Conference in Toronto, Canada. During his
one-day stay, Chung spoke to a group of 40 guests at Barbara Forester's
home. During this event, close to $8,900 was raised!
We’ve Got a New Address!
Don’t forget our new address.
Please mail all future donations and correspondence to:
China AIDS Orphan Fund, Inc.
More Volunteers and Board Members Are Still Needed
Do you have an area of expertise, experience or enthusiasm that could
strengthen our efforts?
Are you
interested in being an active member of a hard working, deeply committed,
really nice group of volunteers?
Are you willing to commit to monthly
If so, we want to talk with you!
We are particularly interested in talking to anyone who has a
background in marketing or promotions.
The China AIDS
Orphan Fund is seeking new board members to fill some recent vacancies. If you feel you would like to help in our
efforts in a more direct, hands-on way, please call Communications Coordinator,
Peg Helminski 651-335-7207 or e-mail PegHelminski@aol.com.
She will answer your
preliminary questions and schedule a time for you to meet the other members of
the board so that we may explore together the possibility of a good fit for
your volunteer efforts.
One Time Event and Consulting
Volunteers Needed
Although Peony Festival and
World AIDS Orphans Day events are done for this year, we are still hoping to
build a list of volunteers who might be willing to help with such one-time,
annual events. If you feel you don’t
have the time to dedicate to participation as a board member but would still
like to contribute a donation of your time to CAOF, E-mail PegHelminski@aol.com
In addition, we find that
from time to time, as our organization grows, we might like to consult with
others who have more experience in a particular field. Knowing that successful
business and community organization leaders often lack the time to commit to
one more meeting, we are hoping to build a list of professionals with expertise
in a wide variety of disciplines that we may approach for advice as
needed. We are particularly interested
in finding volunteers with experience in marketing and event promotion. If you share our passion for the China’s AIDS
Orphans and feel you have information or experience that might be of value to
CAOF, please contact our president,
Tom Ting 952-974-8256 or E-mail him at Thomas.ting@pettersgroup.com
.
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If you have any
questions or concerns regarding the China AIDS Orphan Fund or with issues
presented in this newsletter, please feel free to contact Peg Helminski, CAOF
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