[Every month, NGOs supported by the Transparent Fish Fund write updates on their latest activities and progress. This is a general update that covers a few of these NGOs] Congratulations to the six Commonwealth organizations, including the Sunflower Community, The Red Pencil Charity organization, Shalom Leprosy Compassion Ministry, Happy Checkers, Magnolia Community Center, and One Heart for their successful promotions. These organizations are partners of the Transparent Fish Fund. Please support, encourage and congratulate them! We look forward to sharing more of their stories.

Kangzhou is six years old and is the second child in her family. She has three other brothers and sisters. She was so attached to me, as if I were her father. Every time she saw me, she would ask for a hug. And every time I embraced her, she would snuggle up in my arms. She seemed to be so absorbed in her thoughts that she would never fall asleep.

Whenever I drove by her home, even if I was still hundreds of miles away, she would hear me, even if she was in bed, in her tent, or by the side of the river. She would then stagger to the middle of the road and look at me, with her hair blowing in the moment. I would roll down the car window and say hi to her, but she would always stick her face up to the window and ask for a kiss.

Hi! I am Lina. Hearing the story about you, I think you must be a very vivacious girl, and I think we will become good friends. I am looking forward to your coming to China. At that time, we can think about the future together.I have a younger brother also; he is in grade nine now and is the top of the class. I am proud of him. You said you like singing and dancing. In fact, I like them also. However, my dancing is not very good because I have no chance to learn it. So maybe I can learn it when I enter college and take part in the dance community. Now my primary task is learning and going to college. You should also work hard for your dream. When I talked with brothers and sisters in "Little Red Scarf", I found there are a lot of things to learn. And I understand the true meaning of an old saying in China: "One is never too old to learn”.

As school has been in session for the past three months for my peers and me, I find that the majority of us has been placed under a tremendous amount of stress. From AP Calculus to AP English to Physics Honors, we often find ourselves asking the same questions: Why did we do this to ourselves?, When will these matters ever play a part in our everyday lives?, and, my all-time favorite, What sleep?!

What we fail to recognize, however, is that we have been given such an amazing opportunity through acquiring a top-notch education from supportive teachers and parents. Unfortunately, this is not the case in other countries, such as China, where the lack of education is a prominent problem for many. Specifically in Gansu, China’s second poorest province, a stronger effort to increase investment in education and improve educational facilities is crucial to increase the amount of children who attend school.

In Gansu, education is a dominant factor in determining whether or not rural laborers have the capability to attain more profitable occupations outside of the farm. Unfortunately, children from the poorest households with the fewest amenities to support education or social welfare are the most at risk for an absence of education. Furthermore, the ones that are barely allowed to receive an education are thrown into schools with poor infrastructure and unqualified teachers. Now let me ask the question, does this sound fair? Is it justifiable that children who have no control over their economic backgrounds are forced to settle with an improper education?

Although this is still a major problem, steps have been taken to expand the accessibility of education to those who cannot attain it otherwise, regardless of the reason – travel restrictions, language barriers, limited transportation, or poverty. China’s reformation saw the decision of 1985, consisting of the requirement of a nine-year obligatory education, which rural areas financed through tuition and miscellaneous school fees. Additionally, the decision called for the increase in vocational instruction, reinforced educational leadership, promoted subsidies, and financed an overall reform by providing new resources.

_Philanthropy is not simply about sums of money being donated from one party to another. On a greater level, it necessitates educating minds, stirring hearts, and inspiring action - all driven by a collective compassion to address issues of human need. One of our hopes is to engage a unique population with this essence of philanthropy: students. This past weekend, we were excited to sponsor a charity dinner - planned and executed by our high school interns - with the hope of initiating a movement of philanthropy amongst the youth in the Bay Area.

Nearly 80 guests, mostly consisting of high school and college students, gathered this past Saturday for the charity dinner. The interns led a variety of fun and informative activities aimed at raising awareness of the world’s social injustices, and even got to share some of their personal reflections from interning at the TFish Fund and the Chao Foundation. One intern, Emily, shared:

"We see the differences that distinguish them [the LRS children] from our routine lifestyles, and we have a better perspective of their dire needs. Their difficult living conditions are heartbreaking to see. Growing up in the Silicon Valley, an affluent area of an affluent nation, I feel a sense of guilt, and this sensation is uncomfortable. But, I believe that this guilt is accompanied by a sense of responsibility to reach out to these victims of social injustice."