Volunteering in

China

With

Fairworld Travel

a joint

Students in Free Enterprise

(SIFE)

Social Enterprise

• China’s production lines and construction sites rely on an army of low-wage migrant workers.

• The workers travel from rural areas.

• China forbids these workers from putting down roots under a system of

household registration,

known as the hukou.

The Issue

• Around 252 million Chinese (2011) left the countryside and migrated to the cities.

• a number equivalent to two thirds thepopulation of the United States andfour times the number of people who emigrated to Americanfrom Europe over a century.

The Issue

• The hukou, the city household registration, was developed to keep the rural poor from swamping the cities.

• Without hukou, migrant workers do not get

– social benefits

– They have difficulty sending their children

to school.

The Issue

Migrant’s Children

• China has about 20 million children of migrant workers living in the cities.

• Xu Ling, a teacher in Zhangjiagang, wrote a popular novel about them

– Floating Flowers

(Xiwang de Huaduo, Xiwang Publishing House, 2009)

One of the Top 10 children's literature

works since 1949

• Xu says: “Students from the countryside are very sensitive and fragile psychologically. They look strong and tough… but actually break down easily.”

• … “But they are only children and they

need happiness and encouragement

as they are growing up.” [Ibid]

Migrant’s Children

These Children arevery poor

How you can help

Fair World Travel (FWT) a

social enterprise set up with

Sheffield SIFE

FWT is developing volunteer programmes

in China and Africa.

• Liu Zhen – Jane – is from Beijing and she is setting up these links for us.– She is a Sheffield University PhD student.

• Jane & FWT are working with the

Dandelion Schools & the Chinese Red Cross

to set up volunteer programmes

in China.

How you can help

• The Dandelion School has an established volunteer programme – they work with Duke University in the USA.

• Sheffield can help too!

How you can help

The Benefits

• The benefits of volunteering are great

– It is immensely rewarding

– You make genuine connections with people

– Volunteers keep returning to volunteer again & again

– The Dandelion volunteer programme is

established with various opportunities

for volunteers

Jane can help with the Beijing Reception.

The Benefits

.

To help you find your way around Beijing and make the most of your visit.

Can help make your Chinese

experience unforgettable.

Where else would you like to go in China?

Lijiang?

Xishuangbanna?

A Dai Village?

Jade Dragon

Snow

Mountain? Shangri La?

Please consider volunteeringduring your stay in China

The FWT website is at

WWW.Fairworld-travel.com

We will post more information about

volunteering on this website –

Or you may contact

f.birkin@shef.ac.uk