Chinese tech-giant Tencent is using technology to encourage more people give. It's public charity campaign called "99 Giving Day" is using digitization to help people in need across China. CGTN reporter Xi Jia has more.?
XI JIA Beijing "Charity donations have evolved and taken on new forms with the development of digitalization. Reading an article, taking a walk after dinner, or even meditating for five minutes-all these activities can be converted into donations to help people in need."
China Charities Aid Foundation for Children has launched a campaign to help screen children for eye diseases across the country, especially in poor areas.
Following more than two million checks, the foundation had provided about 60,000 pairs of glasses and helped over 8,000 children with eye diseases.
It claims its success is all down to digitalization.
WANG LIN President and Secretary General, China Charities Aid Foundation for Children "The Internet has given public welfare wings to fly. Public charity requires the participation of the whole of society, it needs to be open, transparent, convenient and fast. And these are the advantages of the Internet. Our Foundation has raised more than 3.8 billion RMB since its inception, of which more than 70 percent has been donated by individuals, mainly through the Internet."
Apart from charities and individual efforts, big business is also getting behind the initiative.
Many large and influential companies are mobilizing their resources to support a range of charities.
VIVIAN TAN UNHCR Representative Ad Interim in China "I think we are now at a very critical juncture in history, we are seeing a record high numbers of people forcibly displaced around the world. Currently 82 million people have been forced to leave their home because of war, conflict, violences, that's a huge number and their needs are massive. I think we need all the support and understandings that we can get and this internet based charity based platforms give us the perfect platform to tell people about what we do, so we look very much forward to working with these platforms. We hope to engage both with individuals and the companies more in our work."
In 2020 alone, "99 Giving Day" raised over 3.8 billion RMB and more than 118 million donors participated.
Are such figures all down to rapid digitalization?
How is Internet philanthropy in China different to that in the West?
I asked the campaign launcher.
GE YAN Secretary-General, Tencent Charity Foundation "Chinese people emphasize their neighbours and their family ties, and it's a Chinese tradition to be kind and giving. It actually makes the whole Chinese charity more humane. So, in fact, Chinese charity is not the same as the West, it is more about the connection of love."
And there's much more to come.
Ge Yan says she believes this is only the beginning for Chinese-style charity.
In the future, she says, it will thrive with more help from Internet charity platforms.
