Aligning with love and charity within the motto of Yew Chung International Schools (YCIS) means seeking out opportunities to transform lives. YCIS is thrilled to announce the commencement of the “Seeds of Hope” project, the first system-wide YCIS charitable endeavour.

By the Seeds of Hope project, YCIS is making a commitment to help build schools in areas of need in China, one school annually in every province where there is a YCIS campus. The town of Qufu in Shandong Province has been selected as the first location for our Seeds of Hope project. On March 31, 2011, a gala concert will be held by students from YCIS campuses across Mainland China and Hong Kong in YCIS Qingdao, serving as the official beginning for our Seeds of Hope project.

After the devastating earthquake hit the province of Sichuan in 2008, YCIS campuses responded by forming the Sichuan Earthquake Educational Development (SEED), which raised RMB 1.5 million yuan to rebuild the Minzhu Primary School at Anyue County of Ziyang City in Sichuan Province which had been severely damaged during the earthquake.

From the original SEED funds sprouted the vision for Seeds of Hope, which grew into a partnership with the China Youth Development Foundation. This partnership will result in the establishment of primary schools in various parts of rural China. The funds generated by the fundraising endeavours of YCIS will be matched by local government organisations to build the desired school.

By creating the Seeds of Hope project, YCIS campuses are able to bring love and charity, in the form of educational opportunity and support, to many of the poor and disadvantaged children of Mainland China.