Through the non-profit organization Sowers Action, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia) has sponsored the reconstruction of a dilapidated primary school.
The school which has no adequate classrooms is the Shuitun Village Primary School, in Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province; and ICBC's sponsorship has enabled the schoolchildren to be educated in a safe environment and at a permanent site.
Shuitun Village Primary School is located at a remote hilly area in Yunnan Province and accommodates about 200 students. Since the previous school building of substandard has been in use for nearly 30 years, it is in poor and a threat to the personal safety of teachers and students. In addition, due to insufficient classrooms, some students have to walk for two miles to study in a former government building.
In view of the critical conditions of Shuitun Village Primary School, ICBC decided to sponsor the reconstruction works and appealed to its staff members for donations. In September, the three-story new school building with seven classrooms was complete and some ICBC staff and volunteers from Sowers Action visited the school in late October. The visiting team also went to the students' homes to understand more about their learning and living conditions. It was obvious that a little help actually meant a significant improvement in conditions for the children.
Looking ahead, ICBC expects to extend its support to reconstruct other run-down schools on the Mainland, to subsidize impoverished students, and to sponsor the further training of teachers, with the ultimate aim of helping people in need.
