The "ICBC-New Great Wall High School Students Self-Improvement Class" program, sponsored and funded by ICBC, was recently launched in Tongjiang No. 2 Middle School, Nanjiang No. 1 Middle School and Wanyuan No. 1 Middle School in Sichuan province. A total of 50 junior high school graduates from impoverished families with outstanding performance received financial assistance from the program to continue education in several prestigious local high schools.
To help outstanding high schools students from poor families continue their education, ICBC donated RMB 900,000 and worked together with the China Foundation of Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) to run a "New Great Wall" high school students self-improvement class in designated areas of Tongjiang, Nanjiang and Wanyuan, Dazhou in Sichuan province.
About 50 students from impoverished families with outstanding performance are selected for the program and each student will receive a grant of RMB 1,800 a year for three consecutive years in high school. The program aims to provide financial assistance to these students to finish their high school education and offer them opportunities for a bright future.
Besides the financial support, ICBC took several measures to better monitor and supervise the Self-Improvement Class program and ensure high-quality education. ICBC officers in charge of poverty alleviation affair in local areas assumed the role as head of the Evaluation Commission of the Self-Improvement Class.
Strict household investigation was conducted on the shortlisted candidates. ICBC also requested the China Foundation of Poverty Alleviation to exert tighter control on the use and management of donated funds and carry out the implementation plan according to the agreed agenda to ensure safety and proper utilization of the donated funds.
The "ICBC-New Great Wall High School Students Self-Improvement Class" program is another initiative and extension under ICBC's long-term scheme of "poverty alleviation in designated areas". Since 1995 when ICBC targeted Nanjiang County, Tongjiang County and Wanyuan City, Sichuan Province to run the poverty-alleviation programs, ICBC and staffs have donated money and materials worth more than RMB60 million to improve the production and living environment in impoverished areas, and lend strong support to lift local poor families out of poverty and bring about prosperity.
This year, ICBC has already donated over RMB 6 million in support of projects on green poverty alleviation, education, and agricultural animal husbandry. The move not only helped local people earn income, but also brought about remarkable results in protecting natural environment, improving people's living standard, and contributing to the new countryside construction.
In July 2010, Wanyuan City, Tongjiang County and Nanjiang County were twice hit by floods, many local schools were demolished. ICBC made donations to support construction of school buildings and recovery of teaching facilities in Tongjiang County Chenhe Township Central Primary School, Wanyuan City Luowen Township Central Primary School, Nanjiang County Guimin Nine-year Compulsory Education School, and Yuantan Township Liangshui Primary School in Sichuan Province.
Under the "2010 Goodwill Campaign for Students in Disaster-hit Areas and Impoverished Areas in China" initiated by the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA), some 3,300 "caring parcels" were given away to students of these four primary schools, which was warmly welcomed by all children.
