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Promoting
Education, Art, and Community Harvest |
PEACH
FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER November 2016, issue No. 45 Translated By Jacob Cha |
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Dear friends,
Special Edition for 15th Anniversary
– This year marks the 15th birthday of the PEACH Foundation. Over the past 15
years, we together have helped more than 8,000 children out of poverty. I would
like to thank all our volunteers 
around
the world. If PEACH is a ship and I am merely the captain, our volunteers are
the hull that carries the kids across the river of poverty and bring them to
the bank of economic independence. Therefore, all achievements belong to our
volunteers. It is the volunteers who help realize both the kids’ and my dreams.
In
order to commemorate what we have achieved over the years, we
put together a book containing 38 stories about the kids we sponsored, and
14 essays written by volunteers.
We
will send you the book and it would be greatly appreciated if you can share the
stories of PEACH with your friends and relatives. If any of them are interested
in buying this book, the price is US $10 for each. Please email the buyers’
names, addresses and number of copies they need to Staff@PeachFoundationUSA.org,
or fax the information to 650-525-9688. We can mail the books to the recipient
directly and you may save postage.
Volunteer Understanding Trip
– From October 22nd to 29th, we held a volunteer understanding tour at Yunnan Honghe Prefecture, and 16 volunteers participated.
We
have been encouraging volunteers to pay site visits. Through face-to-face
conversation, visits to the students’ families and up-close exchanges with the
kids, their families and teachers, many volunteers better understand the living
conditions and hardship the kids are faced with, what they need and how we can
help.
Many
volunteers introduce their friends and relatives to join our programs as soon
as they are back from the visits. We thank you for your great efforts.
New Project Locations –
In order to help more kids, we plan to cooperate with 16 more high schools in
addition to the current 13 in Huize, and extend
financial support to 300 more students in this area. Huize
County has a population of over one million and a great number of people living
in severe poverty. Therefore, local children are eager to get out of poverty
through education. Every year, dozens of high school graduates are admitted to
China’s top colleges such as Tsinghua University and Peking University. PEACH
will offer its humble support to make it easier for these kids.
At
the same time, we went to Mojiang of Pu’er City, which is adjacent to our current project
location Honghe, offering a pilot quota for 60
students in eight schools as a starting point of the cooperation. Before going
to Mojiang, I 
was having a home visit
tour in Honghe with a heavy heart. I
felt somewhat despair to see how poor the local students’ families can be.
It is often the case that five or six kids born by different moms live under
the same roof. Faced with extreme financial difficulties, the parents usually
wish the elder kids to take care of the younger ones, to work or marry at an
early age. As they generally believe that it is a better way out to work
earlier than finishing schooling, there is a great probability for their kids
to drop out of school. In contrast, the infrastructure in Mojiang
is better. The schools, homes, roads and even bathrooms are cleaner. The
parents are more supportive of their kids’ schooling. In order to better take
care of their kids and give them better education, the parents there often
choose to stay home to farm, than to leave home to work in factories,. I
respect them for putting aside instant benefit for the long-term interest of
their kids. These parents deserve our help.
2017 Summer Camp –
We are taking volunteer registration for the 2017 Summer Camp. There are some
vacancies for Session #1 and #3; Session #2 is fully booked. If you or your
family members are interested, please register ASAP. We assign the teaching
position on a first-come basis.
Session#1:
7/14/2017-7/24/2017 at Yunnan Province, HongHe
Region, YuanYang High School
Session#2:
7/25/2017-8/2/2017 at Yunnan Province, LiJiang City, YuLong High School (fully booked)
Session#3:
8/3/2017-8/13/2017 at Yunnan Province, QuJing City, HuiZe YinWang High School
2017 Volunteer Exploration Trip
is scheduled for 10/21- 10/28/2017.We will be visiting Huize
County in the northeast part of Yunnan Province. Huize
County is famous for its historical sites. Registration is open now.
Amazon Partnership
– When you shop at Amazon (smile.amazon.com), Amazon donates 0.5% of the
eligible purchase amount to PEACH Foundation. Do indulge yourself with some
binge shopping on Amazon. Have a shopping spree and enjoy your good deeds.
Thank you for your support.
Below,
we have attached three PEACH students’ biographies. Please share them with your
family and friends.
Best Regards,
Ruth
Jeng
President
PEACH
Foundation
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I
would like to donate ______to the Laurice children
medical funds (at an average of US$20 per child.)
I
would like to send _____children to attend Summer & Winter Camps (at US$125
each for one week, including a bedding set of $40)
I
would like to donate ______ to scarf and mitten funds (at US$5 per child.)
I
would like to donate ______to thermal-pajama funds (at US$5 per child.)
I
would like to donate ______ to the library funds (at US$20 per library)
I
would like to donate ______to the Junhui writing
funds (amount as you wish.)
I
would like to donate ______ to the foundation administration funds
I
would like to donate ______to the mini-loan for middle and high school
students’ living expenses (amount as you wish.)
I
would like to donate ______to the college loan funds (amount as you wish.)
I
would like to donate ______ (laptop computer/ digital camera/ cell phone)
I
would like to increase my sponsorship to ___ high school students and ___
middle school students; the yearly costs are US$300 for a high school student,
US$150 for a middle school student.
Please
make check payable to PEACH FOUNDATION.
Donors
in Taiwan please change the amount to New Taiwan Dollars, payable to PEACH
FOUNDATION.
Account
No.: 50011068 and it is tax deductible.
Address:
1098 Marlin Avenue, Foster City, CA 94404, U.S.A.
Phone:
650-525-1188 Fax:
650-525-9688
Email:
staff@PeachFoundationUSA.org Website: www.PeachFoundationUSA.org
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16231 Zhu XX, 9th Grade, Female
Translated by George
Wang
When
I was three years old, my mom passed away. Three years later, my young brother
became ill too. After exhausting the family savings on medicals, he died. My
father could not bear these heart breaking blows that he walked off from the
home. Thus, I became an orphan.
On
the day that my father decided to leave, I heard that I was to be given away
for adoption. I was desperate. I ran to my grandparents howling, “Are you going
to abandon me?” Grandma cuddled me up and we wept. She told me that she would
never give me away. I nevertheless sobbed uncontrollably.
At
school age, grandpa and grandma scrimped and saved every penny to put me up to
school. As I step into my adolescence, so they are entering their old age. I
will study hard. I will repay the love and sacrifices they have 
bestowed on
me.
16284 Liu XX, 9th
Grade, Male
Translated by Jennifer
Lu
My
body was lack of calcium when I was a baby and my parents had to work extra
hard to save money to buy the supplements for me. Life is very hard for us.
When I was 5 years old, my parents have decided to leave our home town and go
to work in a bigger town. I remember clearly the day when they left me and my
younger brother. I was so sad and couldn’t stop crying. I wish I could be
younger so I wouldn’t have those sad memories. I kept crying for a very long
time after they left, and I dreamt about them coming back to us.
It’s
been 10 years now and they have only been back for a few short trips, but I
started to understand how difficult it is for them as I got older. I hate
money, because it is the reason that it keeps my parents away from me; at the
same time, I wish I can earn money, so our life can be better.
I’m
growing up now and becoming stronger. I also understand more what my parents
have to go through and their difficult decisions. I wish I can get a good
education, find a good job, and make our family’s life easier so we can all be
together finally.
16286 Xiong XX, 9th Grade,
Female
Translated by George Wang
I
grew up in a farm village. Although we are poor, I have no complaints or
regrets about my upbringing. I understand that our family’s predicament is a product
of the environment and not due to the lack of effort of my parents. I believe
education will alter my destiny and, through study and hard work, engender a
new future.
I
can ignore the sneering of my classmates. I can brush aside the disdains from relatives
over our destitution. In my view, everyone is equal when it comes to learning
and education, whereas wealth and breeding matter little. I will make it. I am
confident of that.
My
parents are farmers. I consider myself fortunate to grow up in a loving and
caring family. My parents had no formal education. My mom works long hours in
the field and my father is a temporary laborer. Mom suffers from back pain as a
result of chronic hardship in the corn and potato fields. My father is out of town on all types of
physical works that would employ him for a meager pay. To support my sister and
I through school, they endure tremendously. I am sad
at the constant sight of mom’s withering face and graying hair. I swear that I
will make a difference to their lives when I become independent.
I
am not ashamed of coming from a poor family. I know my role and goal. I will
persevere in my study and fight for a bright tomorrow.