CCTF News

Working with The Prince’s Charities Foundation

Wed, 8 Sep 2010 14:02:18 +0100

CCTF in the UK and in China has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the The Prince's Charities Foundation for cooperation on a project in Anji, Zhejiang province, in the field of ecological communities, cultural conservation and sustainable development. Anji home of the bamboo forest made famous in Ang Lee’s film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” is famous for its traditional bamboo carving, weaving and other craftsmanship. CCTF is planning a community centre for craft skill training at the heart of a village development which is being master planned with advice from the Prince’s Built Environment Foundation.

Protein deficiency just a part of rural poverty

Sun, 5 Sep 2010 14:09:43 +0100

China may be the world’s 2nd largest economy in absolute terms but that means little to millions of its with 1.33 billion people. China ranks well down the list on a per capita basis in 128th position alongside Namibia and Turkmenistan (GDP per capita 2009 (est.) CIA The World Fact Book).
In one of the poorest areas in Guizhou dinner for 12 year old Cheng Zhenbo is,on the table - a bowl of vegetables boiled in plain water. Zhenbo who hasn’t eaten meat in many months covers his head and says: “I have chickenpox, so I cannot eat too much oil. The day before yesterday, I had a fever, didn’t take any medicine, but now I’m a bit better. I think a pox has grown in my throat, it is a little painful, so I can only eat light, non-oily food. After I get better, I can eat sour peppers or whatever.” When he was 2-years-old, his father died. When he was 9-years-old, his mother remarried, while his older sister and brother went to school away from home. Normally, he cooks, chops firewood, sleeps, and takes care of two younger brothers by himself.
Baroness Ashton the EU’s Foreign Policy Chief visited Guizhou recently with Fu Ying Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Ambassador to Britain to see first hand the reality of China today away from the glitz and glamour of Beijing and Shanghai. [click here for news story]

Yaxley Education chooses CCTF’s Chicheng Retreat for Language Learning

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 12:35:25 +0100

CCTF supports Yaxley Education (a China based foreign enterprise) set up by UK entrepreneur Dominic Richards, dedicated to bringing together Chinese and English students for cultural and language learning and understanding. Suffolk County Council Education Department are working with Yaxley to bring English speaking students to China while CCTF in Beiing is promoting the programme locally together with Yaxley’s China MD Drew Ross.
The first Summer Camp mixing Western and Chinese students will be held in CCTF’s Chicheng Country Retreat & Training centre in Hebei Province in the Summer of 2011. Yaxley has adopted CCTF in the UK as its charity of choice and plans to donate a portion of its revenue to support our work.

Grow your Own - Organic Garden

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:17:09 +0100

‘Grow your own’ is one of the themes of a new CCTF nutrition programme recently announced by CCTF in Beijing designed to overcome child iodine deficiency and stunted growth in the poorest counties of China. Learning how to grow organic vegetables in the school grounds will soon be on the curriculum of many rural schools along with greater environmental appreciation.
CCTF UK plas to raise corporate funds for this programme and more details will be forthcoming shortly.

Safety First for quake proof Kindergarten

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:41:37 +0100

Building Safety drives kindergarten design
CCTF is at the forefront of efforts to ensure compliance with best practice safety standards in school building. The latest development a kindergarten in Shaanxi Province is of special interest to CCTF UK who have granted the building funds through the generosity of donors Ronnie & Sue Liu of Sunnyfield Veg and Cooks Delight fruit and vegetable importers and distributors based at New Spitalfields Market.
........Earthquake Proof
Shaanxi Province, capital Xi’an, is in an earthquake zone and the new kindergarten will use latest earthquake proof technology in its construction. After delays while new design safety standards were being incorporated the ground has now been broken and construction is underway. Completion is expected by Summer 2011.