Travels in China 2007
Future Possibilities
After a 4-hour flight from Beijing to Tokyo and a 12-hour flight to Detroit with 3 bad movies and 2 less than stellar airplane meals, I am safely back in my own home trying to adjust to a different time, a different way of life. This will be my last e-mail to you chronicling this powerful journey to China and my work with Golden Courage-China. I want to thank so many of you for your enthusiastic responses to my travelogues. When I was near an internet connection, I would download your messages and then take my computer to breakfast or lunch or into a car and read your comments to the whole Golden Courage family. Just as I brought you along with us on this experience, so you were also very much a part of our lives and in our hearts. That's what Golden Courage is all about - a caring community that spans the globe and brings people together around a common purpose - to help children have hope and the means to a better future. Below is a goodbye picture from some of the Golden Courage family at the Huyuan Monastery.
In this final message, I want to share with you our vision for future possibilities for Golden Courage. As a new non-profit organization, operating in 2 different countries, we are learning the challenges of maintaining a strong and viable organization. Thus far we have been fortunate to have received generous funding and/or support from a variety of foundations including: the Esperance Family Foundation; W. K. Kellogg Foundation; Irvin Stearn Foundation; Foundation Source; the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; the University of Michigan; Concordia University; and other non-profit organizations such as Crisis Response International. But we soon learned that we must create a more sustainable way of funding to ensure that the children who depend upon our services for their sustenance will not be left without assistance.
So leave it to Yun to create an amazing new vehicle for this vision and commitment - a business that will provide Golden Courage with the resources for our programs. In March 2007, Golden Courage was granted permission by the government of China to form a Class A international business organization headquartered in Beijing. The name of this organization is Bao Xing Tai, (BXT) which means, in English, Integrity, Prosperity, Sustainability.
The permission from the Chinese government allows BXT to serve as an agent for U.S. companies that would like to do business in China and Chinese companies that would like to do business in the US. Golden Courage will carefully align itself with companies that serve the public good and bring healthy and environmentally sustainable products both to China and to the U.S. In this way BXT will be an important conduit and a critical business partner for both Chinese and American companies. In return for the use of our valuable network and connections, Golden Courage will receive a reasonable percentage of the sales. In 5 years, our goal is to have 2 or 3 companies that BXT represents that will establish a solid market in China and/or the U.S. In return for our role as agent, we will receive a percentage of the sales that will go directly into the operation and ensure that the programs for the children will not be interrupted due to lack of resources.
In addition, since 2005, the Central Government of China has been doing a 1-to-1 match of resources to all Golden Courage supported children. This means that when Golden Courage helps one child return to school, the Central Government will help another one. In 2006, we spent about $150,000 a year to help children directly and the Central Government spent slightly more. In 2008, we will spend approximately $200,000 and they will spend the same amount.
The local government and social service agencies have provided extensive in-kind support. There is a whole cadre of local educational and social service professionals whose job it is to identify, assist and document children for Golden Courage programs in their communities. There are 45 people who work part time for Golden Courage but are financially supported by the local infrastructure and are on the local payroll. Below is a picture of some of the Golden Courage family and community professionals at the Golden Courage Great Expectations Program Honoring Ceremony.
So you can see from just these 2 examples that we are learning how to create a sustainable organization that can grow and serve more and more children each year. We invite your participation in our work in whatever way it best suits your interests and ability. We deeply appreciate your support of GCI and our children. Please contact us with any questions, comments, or suggestions. Many thanks for sharing this adventure with us.