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An Hui Province, Tai Hu County Scholarship Program

In July 2005, Gift of Love International Adoptions, Inc. pledged to support three female students, who were 10 and 11 years of age at that time.  The girls have either lost one or both parents and have families who do not have the means or finances to allow them to further their education. The Tai Hu County Scholarship Program is managed by Gift of Love International Adoptions, Inc. in conjunction with the Finance Ministry of An Hui Province and local officials in Tai Hu County. A representative from Gift of Love International Adoptions, Inc. traveled to Tai Hu County in July 2005 and met with the provincial and county officials, as well as each of the students and their relatives and/or guardians.

An Hui is located in the southeast of China, near the sea and close to the Yangtze river. It has abundant agricultural resources and a large proportion of agriculture products. The total population is over 63,000,000, of which the rural population makes up 80%. An Hui was officially established as a province in 1667 in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and the capital city is He Fei. An Hui Province is divided into 17 prefecture-level cities, 5 county-level cities and 56 counties. An Hui abounds in natural resources. It is one of the important agricultural provinces, with products ranging from rice, wheat, cotton, vegetable oil crops, cotton, tea, jute, silkworm cocoons, and roast tobacco, etc. An Hui is famous for its picturesque mountains and rivers. Huangshan Mountain, Jiuhua Mountain, Tiazhu Mountain, and Qinyun Mountain are well-know mountains, and the region’s premier tourism attractions, some of which have been inscribed in UNESCO’s World Nature Heritage List.  

Tai Hu County is located in Southwestern An Hui Province with the area of 2034 km², the total population of 547,000 people. The county has 26 townships and 424 administrative villages. Due to submergence by reservoir, inconvenience of communications, and special geography, the economic growth has been relatively slow in Taihu County. The county is currently listed in a national help-poverty project. Over recent years, the people’s living conditions have been improved considerably, reaching the average annual income of farmer RMB 1366 per person, or USD164.58 /year.

Two of the students have had major medical issues.  One has a major eye problem, which would have been correctable earlier on had she had medical treatment available to her.  She is now blind in one eye.  Her mother died in childbirth and her father has never been around.  She is being fostered by elderly grandparents who cannot support her education.  

Another student had an ear infection and her mother had no money for medication or a medical check-up. Her mother is still living, but is struggling just to support the family. Schooling is not in her daughter’s future without financial assistance.

The third student has earned numerous school awards, which were proudly displayed on a wall in her home.  Her mother cannot afford to pay for future education, but she does not want her daughter to lose the opportunity, especially since she has excelled up to now.

At the end of August 2005, provincial officials will go back to Tai Hu County to assist the girls’ families in buying clothing and necessary school supplies and submit tuition for the first semester or the 2005/2006 school year.

August 2006 Update