Project Hope 

The goal of the non-governmental Project Hope, sponsored by the Communist Youth League (CYL) Central Committee and the China Youth Development Foundation, is to support young dropouts in poverty-stricken areas. China, a developing country, faces a shortage of education funds, especially in poverty-stricken areas. More than 30 million children between the ages of 6-14 are unable to attend school or are forced to drop out, with 84 percent of the total number of related youngsters coming from the countryside. Each year, there are 1 million children deprived of education due to poverty.

A group of 11 drop-outs, including Zhang Shengli in Taomugeda Village, Laiyuan County, Hebei Province, received grant-in-aid scholarships from the CYL Central Committee on October 17, 1989. Thereafter, the committee responded to the severe situation in poverty-stricken areas by establishing the China Youth Development Foundation on October 30, 1989 in order to subsidize children unable to go to school. The purpose of the foundation was to "help children with funds collected from society." Subsidization methods include: 1) establishing long-term grant-in-aid programs to help educationally deprived young students with good character return to school in spite of poor family conditions; 2) building and refurbishing schools for poverty-stricken villages; 3) providing teaching aids, writing materials and textbooks; 4) and providing special scholarships enabling outstanding primary and middle school students in poverty-stricken areas to receive college education. During the year, the CYL sponsored the "Project Hope" aimed at supporting young dropouts and promoting the development of basic education in poverty-stricken areas.

Project Hope has attracted the attention and support of all social circles. Deng Xiaoping wrote the inscription "Project Hope" on September 5, 1990, to commemorate the activity. On November 12, 1991, Jiang Zemin, general-secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), wrote: "Supporting Project Hope and caring for the growth of children". An inscription penned by Premier Li Peng on March 22, 1992, read: "Project Hope helps poor children. Properly operating schools benefits people and future generations".

The 1990s Development Program for Chinese Children promulgated by the State Council in March 1992 formally listed Project Hope as one of the main measures for ensuring the survival, protection and development of children.

Project Hope's short-term goal is to establish grant-in-aid programs in 328 poverty-stricken counties, with the long-term target centered on ensuring that all Chinese children enjoy the basic right to an education as advanced by the United Nations.