CWEF ANNUAL REPORT 2013 i

ANNUAL REPORT2013

www.cwef.org.hk

FOREWORD As CWEF team members partner with communities to address their community health needs, it is exciting to see community members understand how their additional training can be a long-term service in their communities. These advocates are able to teach and encourage their neighbors as well as promote the need for investing in public sanitation improvements in their villages. These changes, stimulated within the village community, make a lasting impact for improved public health. Improved health for disadvantaged communities has been shown to have a direct correlation with a greater ability to commit to educational access for village children as well as increased ability to earn and save money.

CWEF thanks our partners for being a part of this movement for advocates leading livelihoods improvement in their own communities. In 2014, CWEF will be investing more in advocates and methods for supporting them in their teaching.

IANTHA SCHEIWE | 黎恩莎EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

In HKD / % 2012 2013IncomeDirect Project Donation $2,873,072 63% $2,536,640 58%Private Administrative Grants $544,849 12% $420,511 10%General Purpose Donation $415,670 9% $280,612 6%Volunteer and Svc Lng Income $713,179 16% $1,004,479 23%Other Income $3,601 0% $152,628 3%

$4,550,371 $4,394,870ExpendituresPrograms $2,345,051 56% $2,178,105 56%Field Support $388,179 9% $456,906 12%Head Office Support & Fundraising $434,841 10% $387,263 10%Volunteers and Svc Lng $1,037,093 25% $873,232 22%

$4,205,164 $3,895,506

OUR FINANCES

INCOME EXPENDITURES

Project Donations

Volunteers and Service Learning

General Donation

Administrative Grants

Programs

Volunteers and Service Learning

Head Office Support

Field Support

4 CWEF ANNUAL REPORT 2013 CWEF ANNUAL REPORT 2013 5

CHINA AND CAMBODIA

OUR WORK

CWEF was founded upon the core belief that education provides all people with the ability to chart a new future. In 2013, the foundation continued to facilitate creative techniques in enriching education for rural communities in China and Cambodia. From scholarship programs to vocational education, CWEF organized initiatives to improve the richness of instruction given by teachers, as well as access to educational materials, and awareness of the value of education for rural parents. CWEF’s program methods intentionally engage communities at all levels, including people in traditional leadership roles, and people who are living day-by-day to provide for their family. Through this multi-level engagement, there is a visible impact on individual communities.

EDUCATION

A cornerstone of generational change in disadvantaged communities is access to education and creation of human networks. Investing in young community members through educational initiatives, teacher training, introduction to community service, and achievement of a high school diploma sets young people on a path that values both personal success as well as mindfulness of how success can be shared with the community at large. Many students in rural China today still struggle with poverty, pressures of education and finding employment, issues traditional education alone are ill equipped to deal with. CWEF has a proven record in working with high school students to bolster student confidence and future planning skills. Through monthly workshops and day camps, students build community with their peers and teachers and apply learning in practical exercises. In collaboration with CWEF student scholarship programs, low income students gain the confidence and ability to succeed and fulfill their potential.

As the REACH program continues to facilitate this learning, CWEF is seeing our high school graduates come back to serve as teachers and volunteers to expand the benefits of the program to new underserved communities.

RESILIENCE EDUCATION:ADVOCACY, COLLABORATION & HOPE

6 CWEF ANNUAL REPORT 2013 CWEF ANNUAL REPORT 2013 7

HEALTHIn many rural towns of Asia, not only is the infrastructure for health care non-existent, the populace are largely illiterate in the matters of health. CWEF promotes sustainable health education through HEAL, where the establishment of health advocacy centers and training of advocates within the community leads to an increased awareness of health risks and empowers community members to make informed decisions to preserve the health of their family members and community. From something as simple as teaching children how to brush their teeth properly, CWEF creates stable and healthy living conditions where community members can prosper without the worry of easily preventable diseases and issues.

Alongside health education, CWEF works with communities to install sanitation infrastructure, including clean drinking water systems, sanitary latrines, solar showers, and biogas digesters. This infrastructure improves the hygiene environment in the villages, reduces the need for traditional fuel sources, including coal and forest-sourced wood, and provides rural villagers with a higher quality of life.

The issue of health in rural communities is key to both economic development of village areas and school attendance for rural children. As the government moves to improve the lives of its people, millions of children today still face life-long debilitating disorders as a result of basic misconceptions about health and nutrition. Life threatening diarrhoea, pneumonia and stunted growth still plague a proportion of the population. Even worse less than half of all public sanitation services have been utilized, highlighting the need for basic education. Since 2012, CWEF has aimed to make health education more available to people in the areas of Asia where we work. Through the HEAL initiative, CWEF targets rural communities near schools to institute basic facilities and educational programs to improve the welfare of those in need.

With the help of Barclays Capital, CWEF finished its pilot program in the Mijiazhuang Village in Yunnan, installing water filtering, latrines and showers for both the school and nearby village homes to use. With the help of a number of trained local advocates, CWEF held regular workshops in health advocacy centers to promote basic health care etiquette, to reduce the incidence of disease. Already with the help of local government offices, CWEF has fundamentally changed the hygiene habits of many schoolchildren and their families. Even more important, the people who participate in the programs learn how to teach this life-saving information to their neighbors, a long-reaching benefit of advocacy.

HEALTH EDUCATION ADVOCACY | LITERACY

8 CWEF ANNUAL REPORT 2013 CWEF ANNUAL REPORT 2013 9

SERVICELEARNINGWITH uSmile

“While I was in Huaiji, Guangdong with the CWEF team and the rest of the uSmile group, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in an environment that was almost foreign to me. For most of us, it was the first time where we witnessed the lives of the underprivileged and gained a first-hand experience of their rural way of living – and for a fleeting moment, I felt the burden these families carried on their shoulders. We spent an afternoon wandering through a populated village in the outskirts of the city, and

while we were there, we had the chance to visit a local family. Some of us were stunned by how simple everything was. No laptops, no bathrooms, no fancy kitchens… the house was stripped down to its bare necessities, and even though it was quite tiny, it was responsible for sheltering a family of seven. It was also a pleasure to spend time in Sibao Primary School and work with the kids from the local community. By the time we arrived, the new basketball court that we worked hard to donate was up and ready, and we were all frantically eager to run our 3-day sports camp with the children. We had a series of sports games planned out – basketball drills, drib-bling games, football matches… and a handful of other little things. I found it very lovely, even inspiring, that the kids erupted in laughter at almost anything. They smiled, giggled, and chuckled at all the little things, and by the end of it all, it was clear to us how much the kids treasured this experience. It felt really great. We came with the intention to serve the commu-nity and make a difference in the world that we live in – and we did just that, perhaps a little more. We’ve planted a worthy memory that values all the little things in life, not only for the kids, but for us as well, and surely, it is one that we will remember for many years to come.”

- uSmile Volunteer from Sha Tin College, Hong Kong

10 CWEF ANNUAL REPORT 2013 CWEF ANNUAL REPORT 2013 11

LOCATIONS IN ASIAWE OPERATE IN CHINA AND CAMBODIA

CHINA ·中国

YUNNAN ·云南

CAMBODIA · កម្ពុជា

GUANGDONG ·广东

SHANGHAI ·上海

ABOUTConcordia Welfare & Education Foundation is a Hong Kong based non-profit organization founded by Lutheran Christians and dedicated to improving the lives of impoverished rural communities in Asia through education and service.

We partner with local communities, organizations and governments to identify sources of poverty and implement programs in the areas of education and community health.

We believe education creates opportunities for people to change their lives and create a new future.

MISSION

VALUESSinceri ty in Act ion• We respect all people involved in CWEF work.• The work we do reflects our commitment to quality, to caring for others and to our core

values.Bridge Bui lding• Through communication and action, we facilitate cooperation and partnership between

our stakeholders.• We promote cultural understanding and mutual respect.Commitment to Local Needs• Local needs are valued and guide project development.• We foster ownership and local participation in all projects.Sustainable Impact• Always accounting for available resources, we plan and implement projects that result in

long-term improvements in people’s lives.• Project goals are set and impacts are measured.Transformation• To enhance livelihoods, we equip people with new knowledge and awareness through

training and education.• We enable people to discover opportunities to help themselves and others.

HONG KONG ·香港

12 CWEF ANNUAL REPORT 2013

SUPPORTDonations are crucial to our work in China and Cambodia: it keeps our staff coordinated, our projects funded and most importantly, increasing communities’ health and access to education. Your support can come in the form of direct donation to specific programs or general CWEF activities. Our store offers a convenient and secure donation method, visit www.cwef.org.hk/get-involved/donate-online/. If you wish to support us further, such as financial partnerships, feel free to contact info@cwef.org.hk for more information.

DONATE

VOLUNTEERCWEF offers service learning that involves volunteers working with communities in China and Cambodia. Not only do those that we serve benefit, these programs provide a profound perspective and experience that can inspire new, positive action.

Contact us at info@cwef.org.hk for more information.

Concordia Welfare and Education FoundationFlat C, 6/F Han Yee Building, 21 Hankow Road

TST, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2337 2036

http://www.cwef.org.hk/

info@cwef.org.hk