Interview with candidates recommended by CHF

Chiheng foundation: education and care for AIDS-impacted kids

My next stop after Shaanxi was Henan and Anhui, where we conducted several interviews at the offices of Chi Heng Foundation. Founded in 1998, Chi Heng Foundation is a charity registered and based in Hong Kong with offices in Henan, Anhui, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. It is a non-governmental organization whose programs are funded by private donors, businesses, and partner NGOs.

“Chi Heng” means “wisdom in action”, and CHF believes they must use their knowledge to help people in need. With this in mind, CHF moves from village to village throughout central and southern China offering help to all children affected by AIDS, thereby ensuring that no child is excluded and each child’s needs are fully understood.

AIDS impacted children have at least one of their parents who is HIV positive or died of AIDS. Most of them contracted the disease after they sold their blood to get out of poverty. Chi Heng helps over 13,000 children all over China.

CHF primarily focuses on paying for the children’s education and living expenses, making sure all funds are delivered personally to the child by their staff. To further decrease the children’s sense of social stigma and isolation, CHF places the children in schools that purposefully integrate the orphans with children not affected by HIV/AIDS.These efforts aim to give orphans a stronger sense of community and belonging. It also offers programs such as art therapies, reading rooms and voluntourism.

CHF has a broader objective to fight against poverty and discrimination, especially through youth education and vocational training. Chi Heng Foundation is the governing body of SYB since 2010 and ensures the social sustainability of the program.

View their website: http://www.chiheng.org/index_en.html

Floriane, SYB program manager

智行基金会：关爱、教育受艾滋病影响的儿童

结束了陕西之行，我的下一站是河南与安徽两省，在那里，我们面试了由智行基金会推荐的学生。智行基金会成立于1998年，它是一个在香港注册的慈善团体，在河南、安徽、北京、上海和广州设有办公室。基金会的基金由个人、公司及合作NGO捐赠。

“智行”是把智慧付诸行动，基金会的理念是运用知识于行动，帮助不幸的人。基金会在中国的工作，包括针对弱势社群的爱滋病预防、照顾爱滋病人及其子女。通过这样的方式，智行基金会希望能够确保没有孩子被边缘化、每个孩子的需要都能够被满足。

受艾滋病影响的孩子中，他们的父母至少有一方艾滋病病毒测试呈阳性或死于艾滋病。他们中的大多数人有过因为贫穷而卖血的经历，而正是在这一过程中，他们感染了艾滋病。目前，智行基金会已经帮助了超过13,000名中国儿童。

智行基金会主要承担这些孩子的教育和生活开支，保证这些资金由智行的工作人员亲自交到这些孩子们的手中。为了更进一步减轻孩子们被“污名化”和被社会孤立，智行基金会会将这些孩子们送到学校，与那些未感染艾滋病的孤儿生活在一起。这些努力都是为了让孤儿有强烈的归属感和社会认同感。与此同时，智行基金会也有艺术治疗、阅读角、志愿旅游等项目。

智行基金会对于对抗贫困和歧视有着远大的目标，特别是在青年教育和职业培训方面。自2010年起，智行基金会接管了海上青焙坊，以帮助项目可持续发展。

访问主页：http://www.chiheng.org/index_en.html

林兰，项目经理