Why China?
The fact that you are on this page means you have an interest in China. So do we!
So, why China? This is usually the first question we get asked. China is the world’s second largest economy and seems to have so many resources and so much capacity to help the poor. So, why do we help? What people forget is that China is also the world’s most populated country, responsible for one fifth of the world’s population. That’s a lot of people. And no matter how progressive a country’s government is (and China’s government is incredibly progressive) there will always be gaps. And this is where the nonprofit sector has a role to play.
Captivating International, as a foreign charity, works under the financial oversight and project control of the Shenzhen Charity Federation (SCF). All our China based projects are approved by the SCF and we only work with registered and approved on-the-ground Chinese organizations. Having worked in China since 2006, we’ve realized that our strengths and best contribution as an international charity are to help identify and support local issues with local (and proven) solutions. There is so much progressive work already taking place, however, the constant challenges these incredible grassroots organizations face always come down to (1) expertise on how to administratively run a charity efficiently and transparently; and, (2) a lack of financial support from local groups. In essence, the world of charity starts with good-hearted people passionate about addressing a particular problem – only to come unstuck because they are either not administratively sound or they lack financial stability. We exist to work with these organizations – taking their good work helping a few and helping to transition it to great work helping many.
We have grown to genuinely love China: it’s people, it’s passion, and it’s persistence to see things through. It is a country that truly honors family, takes a high moral ground on so many issues, and has at the very heart its desire to protect and support its people.
As we said at the beginning of this summary, China is a huge country. It’s arguably one of the most progressive nations on earth with regard to anti-poverty strategies. Without it, the global millennium development goals would look considerably different. But, gaps still exist and Captivating’s work in China is to help where we can. Captivating is heavily invested here and we want to help China do two things:
Help progress those FURTHEST FROM EMPLOYMENT
Educate Girls
Our FURTHEST FROM EMPLOYMENT programs
We can never say enough about the incredible progress China has made to address poverty. “Poverty is absolutely history” for millions of families. But, like all countries, there will always be those who still fall through the cracks. It’s these people who will find themselves furthest from employment, and seemingly unable to progress. Many single-moms in remote locations find themselves in this very situation. We’re here to help these women.
Captivating’s work is primarily focused on Western Provinces in China. Travel to any mountainous location in a Western Province and things are challenging. A dry climate, cold winters, high altitude and small farming plots make progress difficult. Or, maybe a girl’s family are nomadic farmers – roaming the land during the warmer months looking for pasture for their herds. Life is challenging for this girl to attend school due to their nomadic lifestyle, and boarding school is too expensive for the family. She may have an additional problem in that her family may not place as great a value on her education as her brothers.
In partnership with registered, local grassroots charity organizations, we have implemented several FURTHEST FROM EMPLOYMENT projects in China:
- Pigs for Poverty – providing seed funds and expertise helping families start their own pig business and doubling their annual incomes;
- My First Job – when you’ve missed too much school and you are way beyond catchup, this program aims to mentor a woman safely into the best job possible;
- Husky Energy Tailoring Program for Women – thanks to our partnership with Husky Energy (now part of the Cenovus group), this program brings hope, opportunity and empowerment to illiterate women in Qinghai, China
- Greenhouses – establishing greenhouse solutions in villages. A greenhouse helps keep kids in school, improves health, and sustainably ends poverty;
- My Health – My Family – Our Safety Program – sending medical teams to remote village communities instructing them on hygiene, basic health, and caring for their families. Keep them well and they will live longer and more productive lives;
EDUCATE GIRLS
As outlined in our Educate Girls page, investing in education for a girl helps her, her family, and even helps her wider community. It’s a great strategy. In China, this comes through in several programs and we are thrilled to do this with our Chinese registered charity partners to make such progressive change possible.
Click on any of the following links to find out more about our passion to secure better futures for those considered furthest from employment. Supporting a girl through education is personal, practical, and incredibly rewarding to both the giver and the receiver:
- Sponsor a Girl – Our most direct intervention in the life of a girl ensuring she remains in school;
- My First Job Program– when a young woman has missed too much school and she’s WAY behind catching up, this program aims to provide practical skills and experience enabling her to transition into the best first job possible;
- Captivating’s ONE MORE YEAR Scholarship Program – China is implementing fantastic schooling program incentives in remote locations. Still, some girls are missing out because of costs not covered such as transport, food, and boarding. Captivating is partnering with local agencies and schools to bring hope to girls who, without this help could see the end of their education dream.
- Husky Energy Tailoring Skills for Women – Fully funded by the wonderful Husky Energy (now part of the Cenovus group), this program is turning unemployed and under-educated women from remote communities into professional tailors and seamstresses.
