Charity defends 'paid' volunteers
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E-mail China Daily, September 6, 2012
Zhang Xiaoya, 35, from Nanyang in Henan province was ranked second on Shilehui's latest list of the top five fundraisers, after she collected more than 76,000 yuan in August. She used to run an accessory store but decided to begin working full-time as a Shilehui fundraiser in May.
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Shilehui's office |
"It's not a high income job, as 300 yuan is the payment cap for each campaign we complete," she said, adding that she has invested 50,000 yuan but has so far only claimed 12 percent from the Shilehui account that donations are paid into.
"It's definitely a high pressure job because we have to give money to those people in need in advance and if we can't reach our target sum our own hip pocket takes a hit," she said.
According to the Shilehui website, among the people Zhang has helped is Qin Shengsong from Nanyang.
A post dedicated to raising money for the 74-year-old villager showed Zhang visited him on Aug 21 and gave him 1,200 yuan to help with his living expenses. It said Qin, who is a bachelor, has diabetes and high blood pressure.
Pictures uploaded include one showing Qin holding the money with two volunteers and a village official outside his shabby home. Alongside it is a pledge signed by Qin to prove he received the money and a letter carrying the stamp of the village committee.
Zhang aimed to raise 1,400 yuan, 200 yuan of which was to cover her food, transport and cell phone costs during visits to Qin.
"We have not signed any employment contract with Shilehui but the work requires regular visits to remote or mountainous areas to reach the poor, so sometimes I also worry that no one will take care of my safety if I have an accident," she said.
Volunteers also run the risk of being left out of pocket.
Fang said that about 100 of the more than 700 campaigns launched by their voluntary fundraisers have not reached their intended target.
When asked about how to avoid charity fraud, the charity founder said four permanent staff members make calls to confirm the information of both paid volunteers and beneficiaries. He also encouraged netizens to supervise by following information published on its website.
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