Charity to aid African students in China

The China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation plans to provide more financial assistance to underprivileged but talented young people who want a college education, including those from Africa.

The foundation has helped about 100,000 students from disadvantaged backgrounds to complete college since it started the New Great Wall project in 2002, He Daofeng, vice-chairman of the foundation, said on Sunday.

Overseas students from Africa perform during a cultural festival at Tianjin University in May. Wang Kun / Xinhua

Because of inflation, the charity will raise the annual stipend for underprivileged university students to 3,300 yuan ($530) from the current 2,000 yuan, he said.

He was speaking at a ceremony in Beijing celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the project.

He said the foundation plans to expand the charitable project by assisting impoverished African students who study at universities on the Chinese mainland.

Chen Hongtao, deputy secretary-general of the foundation, said most of the African students studying in China come from developing economies and they might need more help than students from developed economies.

Chen said the foundation will conduct research into how many African students are in China, where they are, and the economic background of their families. The foundation's subsidy will mainly serve as a living allowance.

Zhang Hu was among the first students to receive the foundation's financial support 10 years ago.

The older son of farming parents from Zhangbei county, an impoverished area in Hebei province, he was greatly relieved to receive a 2,000 yuan grant from the foundation after he enrolled at China Agricultural University in Beijing.

"It solved the living expenses for my entire freshman year," said Zhang, 30.