Gansu Education Program

Illiteracy is still a major problem in remote areas in China, and it is  a major social challenge for women in their communities. We are partnering with Cedar Fund (headquartered in Hong Kong, China) to assist women to attend basic education and development programs in remote villages of China.

Gansu Province, China, is one of the poorest inland provinces, often plagued with sandstorm, drought, and frost. It has the least external support, and receives little help from international organizations. Lanzhou is a major town in the Gansu Province. Since 2003, Cedar Fund (CEDAR) has been working closely with the local Lanzhou Christian Church Council (LZCCC) on women education and development program in Yongdeng county, located on the outskirts of Lanzhou. CEDAR has finished four teaching programs for a total of thirty-two classes, benefiting a thousand women directly. In carrying out these programs over the course of the last five years, CEDAR has built a good relationship with the local government and the Women Federation. With the success of implementing the program in Lanzhou, we are expanding to assist more women in the town of Pingliang, Gansu Province. We are planning our classes at Baimiao Village and Jiawa Village which are located in the northern remote area of Pingliang. Our program is designed to teach our students with basic literacy skills in a three-month class study, and follow up with a personal development program to teach new farming techniques, social skills, health, and personal hygiene. These education program aims to raise their social status, empower them to face the society, and help them take a more active part in their personal and community development.