We have raised over ¥17520

We’re thrilled to share that, thanks to your support and months of coordination, we’ve successfully completed the first round of fundraising for the Bangwai Primary School Project. Working closely with Principal Wang, we’ve identified and addressed some urgent needs for the school. Here’s a rundown of what we’ve purchased:

3 Computers Lenovo, include screen, keyboard, and mouse.	¥    8.747,00
6 eating tables with chairs for 48 kids	¥    2.320,00
4 Extension cables for computers	¥       128,64
3 Mouse pads for computers	¥         41,70
3 Lan cables for computers	¥         86,72
Router for Wi-Fi connection	¥       211,70
Rice & vegetable steamer 380V	¥    1.548,00
Electric switch for rice / vegetable steamer	¥       211,90
Fridge	¥    2.846,00
Printer	¥    1.379,00
Total	¥ 17.520,66

Thank you for your generous contributions, which have made a significant difference in improving the school’s facilities and resources. Your continued support means the world to us and to the students at Bangwai Primary School.

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Today we had our first video call with Mr. Chen, the principal of Bangwai Primary School.

We have discussed together which items are the most important to the school and kids, and have made a priority list:

1. Table & Chairs
The current tables and chairs were donated almost 6 years ago, so they are very worn-out and loose, and some are nearly broken. The school also lacks of dining tables for boarding students who are eating at school everyday.

2. Rice steaming machine & Fridge
The school currently have 47 boarding students whose homes are too far away from the school for daily commute. However, at the moment, there is only 1 small rice cooker and a tiny fridge, which fall far behind the requirements to prepare proper meals for those children.

3. Computer & Printer
Principal Chen told us, the school has one computer and one printer at the moment, but they are the most basic and outdated ones, and are only shared among teachers to prepare for classes and teaching materials. ‘It would be nice for our kids to get access to the Internet and some IT knowledge, because it will have a long-lasting beneficial impact on their futures ’. Therefore, our aim is to provide 4 computers and 1 more printer, so the school can have a computer room for IT classes.
(Internet connect is available in Bangwai Village)

4. Beddings
We asked Principal Chen about the accommodation conditions for boarding students. There are currently 2 dormitories at the school for 47 kids, which were converted from classrooms, and only 1 shower room. Boarding students brought their own beddings, but most of them have been used for years in their family, or made from unwanted cloths.

5. Study Tools and School Bags
‘To be honest, parents here are trying their best to provide their kids the most essential study tools, but constrained by income, most of the study tools are very old or simply just insufficient.’ Says Principal Chen. Thus, we plan to prepare each student a school bag with all essential study tools: pen, pencil, ruler, eraser, pencil box, and notebook.

We have again verified more details with Principal Chen and discussed about the delivery plan. As the nearest delivery pick-up point is 100km away from Bangwai Primary School, we will have to arrange a truck to pick up the donated items from Lincang City and deliver it to the Primary school in Bangwai.

A letter from Lan Tian Hong

The Bangwai Primary School project is initiated by StayInShanghai team, but this time, it is not about relocation, housing or me.  

Back in 2015, my father was participating in a project in Shuangjiang County. During his 2 years stay there, he would often tell me how shocked he is by the poor living condition in Shuangjiang, especially in some villages that are further away. Bangwai well represents the situations in those villages. With insufficient natural resources and underdeveloped public transportation, some residents in Bangwai are still struggling with the basic needs for survival- clean water, electricity supply, and even food. Facing so many challenges, although China’s 9-years mandatory education scheme waives all tuition fees, sending kids to school has still been a burden on most families in Bangwai, because that means less help at home and extra expenses for study.

One time, my father sent me a photo of a pair of shoes: the surface is covered with holes, and both shoe-soles are completely worn out and nearly come off. He told me the shoes belong to a child he met on the mountain trek, and the child was on the way home after school. “You won’t believe this little child has to walk nearly 2 hours every day to the school”, my dad says, and I could sense his upset over this side of the phone. That pair of shoes has been stuck in my mind ever since.

This is the story behind Bangwai Primary School project. Year 2020 has taught us so much- to cherish what we took for granted before, to be kind to other people, and most importantly, to give back whilst we can.