Yang's program taps into creativity of migrant children
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E-mail China Daily, December 3, 2013
Yang Lan, one of the country's most famous faces and dubbed China's answer to Oprah Winfrey, reviewed the success of the Growing in the Sunshine program at an event in Beijing at the weekend.
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Yang Lan [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily] |
The charity was launched in 2007 to give migrant teenagers in Beijing an appreciation and exposure to art. According to numbers released by the Sun Culture Foundation, which Yang and her husband Wu Zheng founded in 2005, more than 30,000 migrant children in Beijing have participated in art educational programs, such as dance, painting and music.
At the event, Yang invited migrant students from Yuquanlu Primary School, in Shijingshan district, to perform the song, Look to Your Path from the movie, The Chorus.
This was followed by migrant students from Luyuan School of Chaoyang District performing a percussion show with various instruments.
The event also put artworks, painted by migrants students, up for auction.
This was a huge success as more than 6 million yuan ($978,000) was raised.
The proceeds will be used in the Growing in the Sunshine art educational programs in 2014.
"The transitional period of Chinese society is likely to incur major social problems, which including the integration of the second and third-generation migrant population into urban cities. As teenagers are exposed to enormous information, they are likely to be the most sensitive and vulnerable group, and they deserve much more attention and care," said Yang, 45.
"We are glad to see many students enjoying the programs we offered and I hope that what they learned will play a significant role in their future."
Since 2006, Sun Culture Foundation has initiated the "Grow in the Sun, Dance with Ballet" Project, an arts education initiative for marginalized teenagers (reformatory school students). This has been warmly received from both students and their parents.
Between 2008 and 2010, 10 sessions of the "Grow in Sunshine, Dance with Ballet, Bring Ballet to Campus" program were held, granting high school students in various districts and counties in Beijing access to basic education and appreciation of ballet.
More than 5,800 students have participated so far, including 1,200 students in mountainous regions and more than 2,000 migrant teenagers.
In 2010 Yang co-organized a banquet in Beijing with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which brought Bill Gates and Warren Buffett together to discuss philanthropy in the company of more than 30 Chinese families interest in philanthropy.
In 2012, she invited former US president Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn to share their experience in working for charity organizations. A member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Yang also proposed legislation on philanthropy.
She said that a partnership between the foundation, academic institutions and frontline non-profit organizations will also be established to provide service, support and research for social integration of migrant teenagers.
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