This Day, That Year

On Oct 30, 1989, the Project Hope charity was launched by the China Youth Development Foundation.

A photo from China Daily showed students cheering outside their newly built classroom in Yan’an, Shaanxi province, in 1990.

Within decades, Project Hope has become one of the country’s most successful charities dedicated to helping

This year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up policy.

poor children access education.

It has made a difference to the lives of students from impoverished families nationwide.

By the end of last year, the charity had raised more than 14 billion yuan ($2 billion). The money went to financing the education of more than 5.7 million students.

It also helped build about

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19,800 primary schools as well as more than 29,000 reading rooms and libraries nationwide.

The charity also offers financial assistance to high school and college students.

Thanks to Project Hope, the country’s primary school dropout rate has decreased dramatically, according to the Ministry of Education.

By 2020, the percentage of students who drop out of school during China’s nine years compulsory education is expected to fall below 5 percent, according to the State Council,

China’s Cabinet.

Besides Project Hope, various measures have been taken to improve rural education.

China plans to get 45,000 university graduates teaching in rural areas this year in an initiative to boost education standards in poverty-stricken areas, according to the Ministry of Education.

China requires children to receive nine years of compulsory education, normally from the age of 6 to 15.

In 2010, the China Youth Development Foundation decided to bring Project Hope to Africa, launching China-Africa Project Hope. It plans to build 1,000 primary schools in Africa in 10 years.