FISH fund

LEAF-go-VSO

FISH fund

Fundraising Initiative for Schools & Student Hardship

Welcome to the Fish fund. Why fish? Well, there's more to it than the obvious acronym (Thank you, Mr. Paul Hider)! The fish is a symbol in Chinese culture for plenty or surplus - because the words for 'fish' and 'plenty' sound the same, yú (Fish is written 鱼, plenty is 余). A fish is always served at the most important Chinese banquets for this reason. So, as the name for a fund which aims to give something to students who don't have anything in the way of spare cash, it seems very appropriate!

鱼 yú 余 yú 鱼 yú 余 yú 鱼 yú 余鱼 yú 余 鱼 yú 余


L to R: Pupils of Tuanshan Primary School (a previous project); Xiao Jinggu Middle School pupils (Project 2); Simao Teachers' College student family home (Project 3)
Click on one of these photos to find out more about these projects.

What exactly is FISHfund?

The FISHfund is a financial initiative to support the needs of schools and students in Simao Prefecture by way of non-returnable grants. Finances, advertising and administrative work is carried out by ourselves and student volunteers so that we have no overheads. This means that 100% of donations made go directly to successful applicants. Money is raised through Chinese and overseas donations. To date we have provided grants to fund, for example:

	Spectacles for students
	Medical expenses
	College tuition fees
	Study books and materials
	Middle school language books and resources

By making a small donation you can help:

	buy learning resources such as books, tapes and posters
	bring light to the lives of thousands of middle school children in remote areas
	help train future middle school teachers

100% of your donation is GUARANTEED to go directly to our projects. We can ensure this because: (1) as volunteers, we take no payment; (2) we have no overheads and minor expenses will be covered by us; (3) we work directly with Education Bureau and Middle School leaders who oversees applications, quotes and grant allocations; (4) we know how important it is to put your money to good use.

We also GUARANTEE that you can see where your money has gone, with photos and personal correspondence.

As well as being a great opportunity for individuals to contribute to rural Yunnan's development, this would be a fantastic fundraising focus for a Primary or Secondary school with which YOU have a link - in the UK, Canada, the USA or wherever you are based. Let us know how your school would like to be involved and we will make this an educational and rewarding project for you and your pupils.

A FISHfund volunteer recruited from Lesley's Grade 3 students (2007)

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR FUNDRAISING PROJECTS AND HOW YOUR DONATION CAN HELP,
VISIT OUR PROJECTS PAGE (Button at top of page)