Local charities, firms serious about social responsibility

"Wealthy and caring" are perhaps the best words that can be used to describe Jinjiang, the first county-level city in China that has a charity federation with 1.55 billion yuan ($235 million) under its belt.

The federation, founded in 2002, added another 20 million yuan to its coffers on June 28, after Lin Haicha, the founder of Guirenniao, a leading domestic apparel maker, set up a charity fund to coincide with his grandson's wedding ceremony.

"I've attended at least 10 such occasions in the last two years I have been in Jinjiang. It was surprising to see entrepreneurs setting up funds to commemorate important days or events," said Liu Wenru, the city mayor.

On January 9, Anta Group, another local company, donated 100 million yuan to set up the "Anta Hemu Caring Fund", following the Hengan Group's 250 million yuan donations made between 2007 and December 2011.

"By now, under the Jinjiang charity federation, there are 121 'caring foundations' set up by local enterprises and businesses. Being generous and doing acts of righteousness is a normal thing in Jinjiang now," the mayor said.

With its wealth exceeding 100 billion yuan for the first time in 2011, Jinjiang has topped the richest list of county-level cities in Fujian province for 18 years. But there are 50,000 handicapped people, 18,000 students and about 9,100 poverty-ridden households that need assistance, according to the charity federation's statistics.

Xu Lianjie, CEO of Hengan Group, said most of the wealthy entrepreneurs were almost penniless when they started; but in a short period of time, they have been able to succeed, and make their fortunes.

All together, there are at least 16,000 private businesses in Jinjiang, 479 of them each chalking up annual sales of at least 100 million yuan, according to official statistics.

"This is partly due to the strong support they have got from the local government," Xu said. "Now that the government has played its role, it's time for enterprises to assume their social responsibilities."

Over the past few years, Jinjiang charity federation has spent 680 million yuan, providing disaster relief and launching projects including helping people with hearing, seeing and walking difficulties.

All 389 villages and communities in Jinjiang has set up "relief stations" to respond to people when difficulties arise, according to the mayor.

In particular, Jinjiang was the first in Fujian to set up a nursing home for senior citizens in a village.

Wu Xiuli, 73, and her husband surnamed Hong, are volunteers at the Weitou Village Nursing House for Seniors, which was set up in 2008. Most of the elders now spend their days at the two-story house.

"Since their children have either gone out to work or migrated overseas, staying here means they have companions," Wu said, adding local authorities have also arranged free trips for the old people.

Wu and Hong are among the 2,000 members of the Jinjiang charity volunteers association. Most of the volunteers are aged between 16 and 80, according to sources with the city's charity federation.

While migrant workers may experience unfair treatment of various degrees in other cities, Liu said Jinjiang has treated migrant workers always with affection.

"Jinjiang has 1 million people on household registration, and another 1.1 million migrants. They are the new Jinjiang'ers and builders of our city, and we must help them settle into local life," the mayor said.

All of their children, 187,000 by now, are receiving compulsory education free of charge, and 92 percent of them are in government-sponsored schools, he said.

"We promised in 2006 that no migrant worker will suffer from salary arrears; no migrant worker's children will drop out of school, and no one will have his or her rights and interests breached," he said. "And we have lived up to that promise."

The city was awarded the privilege of hosting the second "Congress of China Caring Cities" this December, according to Liu.