ChangAi Children's Project

中文

The ChangAi Children's Project commenced its activities of providing education and well-being grants; extending micro-credit loans and vocational training; running creativity workshops; providing a critical health fund and running community-based health education programs in March 2008. By the end of the project's first year, ChangAi had reached over 300 beneficiaries across four villages. After the successful trial of activities such as micro-credit loans and education grants, the project expanded coverage to additional beneficiaries in 2009, with indirect positive impacts being reported not only at the individual and household levels but widely across village communities.

With ChangAi's current funding coming mainly from the private contributions of the founding partners, the ChangAi team is looking for alternative ways, ideas and resources to be able to geographically expand project activities to reach children in other communities. Promotion of sustainable development and the utilisation of local knowledge and expertise are central to the implementation of ChangAi's five year model, details of which are outlined below.

Villages 1 & 2

2010:

- 46 villagers used micro-credit loans for raising cattle and pigs or growing crops of sugarcane, rice, gourds. The 2008 and 2009 loan recipients took part in a focus group to share experiences of having a loan and to discuss any difficulties or challenges they faced with farming or with managing loan repayments.

- 12 children participated in weekend maths classes so that they could catch up to their peers. Some had missed months or years of school due to family hardships.

- 22 children received education and well-being grants to assist their families pay for tuition fees, board and study materials.

- 2 children had meat added to their meals each week at school to boost their nutrition levels to those of their peers.

- 5 families had access to ChangAi's critical health care fund.

- 1 student received a living support allowance to attend university.

2009:

- 23 additional families became microcredit loan recipients. The 43 families with microcredit used the loan to raise new income through pig raising or growing sugar can or rice and keep their children in school. (The model requires 100% repayment over two years).

- 46 villagers with micro-credit loans benefited from a focus group discussion with earlier lenders, and also attended microcredit, pig-raising and farming training.

- The 46 loan recipients successfully repaid 50% of their loan at the end of the year as scheduled, contributing to an overall 100% repayment rate. (The model requires 100% repayment over two years).

- 12 children participated in weekend maths classes.

- 22 children received education and well-being grants.

- 2 children had meat added to their meals each week at school.

- 5 families had access to ChangAi's critical health care fund.

- 1 student received a living support allowance to attend university.

- 23 families became microcredit loan recipients. The families used the loan to raise new income through pig raising or growing sugar can or rice and keep their children in school. (The model requires 100% repayment over two years).

- The 23 loan recipients successfully repaid 50% of their loan at the end of the year as scheduled, contributing to an overall 100% repayment rate. (The model requires 100% repayment over two years).

-  40 children and teens attended a health education training workshop.

-  31 adults attended a workshop on child psychological health and life skills.

-  24 adults participated in child health education training.

-  47 families participated in pig raising training.

-  46 families participated in sugarcane growing training.

-  5 families accessed ChangAi's critical health care fund.

-  15 participants took part in a theatre workshop run by Hua Dan exploring and building mother-daughter relationships.

Villages 3 & 4

2010:

- 46 villagers used micro-credit loans for pig-raising, sugarcane growing or crop raising (corn and rice). The 2008 first-round loan recipients were invited to take part in a focus group to share experiences of having a loan and to discuss any difficulties or challenges they faced with farming or with managing loan repayments.

- 15 children received education and well-being grants to assist their families pay for tuition fees, board and study materials.

- 15 children received calabash classes for three months and gave a musical performance to visiting project staff.

- 45 children attended 25 art, craft and painting classes.

- 40 children attended two rounds of life skills training for teens.

- 5 families had access to ChangAi's critical health care fund.

- 1 student received a living support allowance to attend university

- 5 students attended catch-up classes for 16 hours per month over 11 months.

- 35 children were taught to play calabash music, attending 2 classes per week.

- 31 children received an education grant.

2008:

- ChangAi funds were used to establish a Child Activity Room, dedicated to art, music and theatre activities for children and teens.

- 6 children received an education grant.

- Children from Village 4 are participating in weekend maths classes so that they can catch up to their peers. Some have missed months or years of school due to family hardships.