|
December 4, 2000
Mr. Li Ka-shing and his Group companies Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited
and Hutchison Whampoa Limited recently donated HK$60 million to
the China Disabled Persons' Federation for the Cheung Kong New Milestone
Program. This follows a HK$100 million donation made by Mr. Li in
1991. The previous donation helped 1.63 million disabled persons
to receive rehabilitation services, including 1.07 million cataract
sufferers to regain their eyesight.
This program will be carried out from 2000
to 2005. Its aims are:
| - |
Provide immediate occupational training and
medical help for disabled persons |
| - |
Promote welfare for the disabled Encourage
disabled |
| - |
Encourage disabled persons to develop self-confidence,
self-reliance and optimistic attitudes |
| - |
Heighten society's awareness of welfare issues
for the disabled |
Cheung Kong New Milestone Program comprises
four sections:
- Make
artificial limbs widely available Set up 200 artificial limb installation
stations around the country and train 400 technicians to make
10,000 artificial limbs available and to benefit 40,000 people
within six years
-
Train teachers in language skills for deaf children Establish
the Beijing Institute of Audiological and Speech Therapy to train
500 language teachers for deaf children in six years
-
Assistance for schooling of blind children Set up education institutions
for blind children in 12 provinces; train 3,000 teachers of the
blind; assist 25,650 blind children from poor families to attend
school and raise their school attendance rate from 40% to 80%
- General
service centers for the disabled in poverty-stricken regions Help
200 poverty-stricken prefectures around the country to set up
general services centers to provide all types of services for
over 3.7 million handicapped persons
- Blind masseurs training service Responding
to unemployment problems for the blind, this program aims to train
35,000 blind masseurs and masseuses to serve society's needs
Mr. Li Ka-shing is a keen supporter of education
and medical care. Since the implementation of this program, over
2,200 disabled persons have been able to receive artificial limbs
at just one-tenth of the normal cost. Furthermore, of the more than
5,500 blind persons who have received training, 95% have found employment
and their quality of life has improved as a direct result. Construction
of the Beijing Institute of Audiological and Speech Therapy has
also been completed and admissions will commence soon.
Previous
|
