Do you wash your hands after using the bathroom? To the surprise of Feng Changlin, this hygienic habit was not practised by many children in the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai, China. “It seems a very easy and simple habit but there was little water in their hometown,” says Changlin, who graduated from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP)’s Master in Public Administration and Management programme in 2015.
[ALUMNI-INFO TEXT="A resident of Beijing, Changlin was drawn to Yushu after an earthquake devastated the area in 2010. “I stopped all my work immediately and devoted myself to rescue and relief work,” he says. “During the six months of volunteer work, I found some serious problems in health, education and decided to set up a charity foundation after I returned to Beijing.”
China Beijing United Charity Foundation (BUCF) has since gone on to identify and solve serious health issues in Yushu together with local government. The foundation has also introduced art education into the local school system.
Changlin is the chair of BUCF and another LKYSPP alumnus, Sun Liyong, is the secretary. They first met at a gathering of the NUS Alumni Beijing Chapter. Liyong was then the president of the chapter and had graduated from the LKYSPP’s Master in Public Management programme in 2010. The two hit it off immediately. “Charity is religion. We have the same religion,” they both say. Liyong was so interested in Changliln’s work that he left his job as an investment director to join BUCF. Prior to studying at LKYSPP, he had been Vice-Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Changping District in Beijing for 4 years, responsible for international communication and cooperation."][/ALUMNI-INFO]
Liyong (on the left) was with Changlin (on the right) at National Unity Cup Amne Machin International Ultra-Trial, after Changlin completed the run.Much of the work BUCF does is related to education and health. A key achievement was getting the local government in Yushu to focus on Hepatitis B prevention and treatment. First, BUCF donated a mobile health check vehicle to the government which screened all middle and primary school students for Hepatitis B. A number of cases were reported among these children, so the Yushu government followed up with health checks for adults. After seven years of hard work from BUCF, the authorities in Yushu spent RMB 120 million (equivalent to SGD 24 million) on a prevention and treatment system for Hepatitis B.
BUCF, represented by Liyong (on the left), donated ambulances to Qinghai Province.
In 2014, Liyong set up a programme under BUCF to help girls in high schools of Qinghai who were from impoverished families. A year later, in 2015, the foundation started a painting classroom in Yushu First Complete Primary School and hired an art teacher. Four years later, around 600 children have gone through the art programme and most have received certificates of accomplishment or other prizes. An exhibition of their art was broadcast live on the Web, with around 5,000 netizens, including many from Singapore, sending good wishes to the young artists.
Children painted passionately in Datang Art Studio donated by BUCF.
[ALUMNI-QUOTES TEXT="Changlin and Liyong emphasise that BUCF goes beyond raising donations and helping the needy. They say: “The mission of BUCF is to find problems, settles problems between governments and companies, helps them with social responsibility development.” It identifies issues “out of reach of government and business”, such as the Hepatitis B epidemic, and finds ways to resolve these.
The foundation has no stakeholders from the local government or state-owned enterprises or private companies. “It is a pure, simple charity organisation. At the same time, it is operated with international knowledge from LKYSPP class and our business skills, so it is efficient,” they say.
Both alumni decided to study at the School because of Singapore’s reputation in public management. Both were challenged by the courses they took up – Liyong remembers studying until 2 am every night to finish his homework! – but both also appreciated the expertise of the professors. They also learnt a lot while working with fellow students with different skill sets.
Changlin fondly recalls studying at the historical campus while also being exposed to the newest “scientific management” strategies. Liyong remembers the Botanic Gardens as “paradise” and being encouraged to “think ahead, think back and think around” problems, so as to come up with scientific and rational decisions.
The LKYSPP experience has been invaluable in their work with BUCF. “Charity is a profession. It’s as difficult as any business,” they say. “Operating good programmes is challenging. It’s hard to collect donations, but it’s tougher to spend donations.”
They welcome other LKYSPP students to join them at BUCF and are eager to share their case studies with current classes. Liyong notes that an interest in charity and social issues is often a defining characteristic of students at LKYSPP. “All LKYSPP alumni would be successful, no matter whether they are in government or business but we should also be leaders in social responsibility.”"][/ALUMNI-QUOTES]
While working hard on charity, Changlin runs Marathon on the plateau as well. Liyong’s Top Tips for LKYSPP students:
- Work hard and harder. You will thank the hard life on campus.
- Please think more and more deeply. The more you think, the more you get.
Changlin’s Top Tips for LKYSPP students:
- Study systematically, not only knowledge you love and like, but also all you can learn.
- You don’t have to stop your work to study. A better way is to study with your work.