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| ....that every child in the orphanages with a medically correctible or improvable condition is given treatment to correct or improve that condition. The Chinese government has recently implemented the Tomorrow Plan, which provides surgeries for many of the children needing them. FujianKids provides medical treatments for conditions that may not be covered by the Tomorrow Plan, such as treatment for Hepatitis B; provision of medical equipment such as glasses, hearing aids, wheel chairs, and prostheses; and provision of rehabilitation equipment and training for children who could benefit from it, such as those with cerebral palsy. |
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Hygiene |
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| ....that the staff of each orphanage understand the basics of disease transmission and prevention, that the orphanage be provided with disposable needles to prevent the transmission of disease, and that the orphanage have appropriate equipment to enhance hygiene and promote health. |
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Nurturance |
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| ....that each orphanage have at least some staff and volunteers who are trained in child development and who can contribute to an atmosphere that emphasizes both nurturance and stimulation of babies and young children. It is also important that caretakers to be freed as much as possible from housekeeping tasks so they can focus their energies on the children and not on washing clothes. This means that some orphanages will need to be provided with washers and dryers and other equipment that eases the burdens of these tasks. |
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| ....that special needs children receive training that allows them to reach their potential. As both domestic and international adoptions increase in China, it is likely that the future population of most orphanages will be heavily composed of special needs children. Many of these children have mental impairments.. Our goal is that all these children be provided with opportunities for creative expression, training and tutoring as appropriate to gain life-enhancing skills, and a joyful and nurturing environment. This may involve hiring tutors for the orphanage, providing art materials, and purchasing toys specifically for these children. Other children may have vision or hearing deficits that make it impossible for them to learn in an ordinary classroom setting. FujianKids goal is to provide these children with the specialized instruction they need to achieve their full potential. |
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....that children be provided with opportunities to see the world outside the orphanage, to engage in recreational and cultural activities available to typical children in the community, to gain an understanding of what "ordinary life" is in the towns where they live, and to form relationships with members of their local communities. It is hoped that the knowledge gained from these experiences will help children better envision their opportunities for the future and encourage them to set goals for education and career training. |
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| ....that orphanage children be provided with educational opportunities commensurate with their abilities and motivations. In Fujian Province, it appears that in most cases public school is available to orphanage children. However, orphanages do not have funds to pay for further training once children graduate from the public schools. Some orphanage children have career aspirations that involve college or other specialized training, and our goal is to offer all orphanage children the knowledge that they can do something special with their lives if they work hard toward that goal. |
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This list of goals is pretty overwhelming, but in the short time that FujianKids has been working in the orphanages, it is evident that we really can make a difference. But the task is large, and we need many hands and hearts to make these things happen.
- make a contribution (here's how)
- inform others about FujianKids
- at Christmas, Mother's Day, or birthdays, make a donation in someone's name instead of buying a gift (use the donation form or make a gift donation online); a FujianKids gift card will be sent to represent the gift
- ask your child's school or classroom to take on a FujianKids project
- speak to your church group or civic organization about carrying out a FujianKids project
- encourage your child to contribute to the Children's Project
- serve as an orphanage advocate (see below)
- engage in fund-raising activities, such as selling FujianKids notecards and orphanage art at adoption fairs and similar events (contact us for details), hosting a small gourmet fundraising dinner, or organizing bake sales or a bike-a-thon.
Orphanage Advocates
The orphanage advocate works in conjunction with FujianKids to assist in choosing projects to fund for a specific orphanage. The advocate also takes the lead in organizing some of the fundraising for chosen projects and coordinates with others interested in helping that particular orphanage. One orphanage advocate raised several thousand dollars for an orphanage simply by setting some project goals, contacting others who had adopted from that orphanage, and encouraging them to contribute to the project. Depending on the advocate's level of interest, s/he might wish to become involved in some other orphanage-related activities, possibly with the help of other volunteers. Some examples of these activities include:
- organizing an art exchange, where adoptive children send artwork to the orphanage and orphanage children in return send their own artwork
- preparing a photo album for the orphanage that includes photos and updates of children adopted from that orphanage (this can also be a good fundraiser)
- organizing Chinese New Year gifts--this would involve raising money to purchase new clothes and small gifts for the older orphanage children. This would be especially nice for those children attending public school, as they would appreciate receiving some new clothes like their schoolmates get at this time of year.