Background.  In autumn of 2000 (lunar year of the Golden Dragon), a team of four Chinese American women were invited by All-China Women’s Federation, the world’s largest non-governmental organization working to represent and protect the rights of women and children in China.  The team traveled to the villages in Gansu and Shaanxi Provinces, the region considered historically among the poorest and most neglected.

The Spring Bud Project. The Chinese film “No Child Left Behind” resonated deeply with the four-woman team. During the 2000 inspection tour, they discovered that most girls in rural villages were unable to attend school, or, at best, only through the third grade.  When confronted with this horrible reality, the team committed to educate 1,000 out of 280,000 impoverished girls in Shaanxi Province beginning in 2001. 

Progress.  Since then, more than 400 sponsors in the U.S., Canada and Hong Kong are steadfast in their support of these Spring Bud girls, providing scholarships for them over a 13-year period—from 4th grade through college.  In September 2007, 750 of our 1,000 middle school graduates took the very competitive entrance examination to senior high schools, of which 274 succeeded in entering key (college preparatory) senior high schools.  These girls will be groomed as potential future women leaders.  In addition, another 100 students are enrolled in three-year vocational schools to specialize in nursing, medical technology, nursery school teaching, accounting, agriculture, and other disciplines.  At all times, major emphasis is placed on performing community service outside of the classroom.

For more information, please visit:  www.1990InstituteDragonFund.org

  Six years of Blooming

 Spring Bud girls in 2001 as they entered 4th grade

Spring Bud girls in 2005 in middle school

Spring Bud girls in 2007, graduating from middle school