Yunnan America Foundation

Shengcun 　　　Lulacun

History 　Scholarship 　Selection 　Application

Yunnan province is situated in the southwest frontier of China

The YAF sincerely hopes that you will participate with the building and scholarship programs

Yunnan America Foundation

Project Statement

　　The Yunnan America Foundation (YAF) is a USA tax exempt charity dedicated to promoting good will between the people of China and the people of the USA through education.

		Expenditure Statement
	100% of all funds received by the YAF are spent on school construction or student scholarships. The YAF pays no salary and provides no gifts or services to any entity. The YAF pays no overhead costs. Agents of the YAF pay their own expenses for any work done on behalf of the YAF. All decisions as to expenditures of the YAF are made by the Chinese Board of Directors.

Personal Note From Howard Graham

　　Jennifer Drew and I first came to China in 2000 as tourists visiting the minority people of Yunnan. We discovered many unique groups with various costume, cultures and manners. They were all kindly and loving people, but most shared one overriding characteristic, poverty. We were moved to help by building schools where schools were needed and helping children to attend school by providing small scholarships. Originally, the scholarships were directed to primary school children and then expanded to include junior high, high school and even some college students.
　　The laws of China require all children to attend school through the ninth grade. But the schools charge some small fees that can make even attending grade school impossible. Some areas we visited had no children advance beyond sixth grade and the primary school education was very poor. It requires a minimum of $125.00 US annually to send a child to junior high. High school costs are even more. The children must leave their village, so they require food, books, tuition, supplies and transportation. Total annual family incomes of $75 prohibit school attendance. The minority groups have not participated in the economic growth of China and we wondered what they would do in the coming years when even subsistence living may become impossible. Small sums of money can make it possible for children to attend school and make a big difference in a child’s life.
It is not easy to change and the goals are a long way off, but what choice is there? Minority children must learn to speak and write in Mandarin, which is different from their local language. They are socially and educationally behind the urban children and are often required to work long hours helping on the family farm. Only education can offer hope for an improved life. We do not wish to extinguish the minority culture but augment it. The local cultures will surely disappear if poverty continues.
　　We invite you to join us helping the impoverished people of Yunnan. A small sum of money can make a big difference in the educational life of a child, family and community.
　　 Howard Graham

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