Opening Remarks開場白

Poverty can bring tremendous distress; economic hardship and material scarcity can often load such a heavy burden on parents that they can hardly keep their heads above water. As a result, innocent children are affected, and deprived of the opportunity to pursue a full education.  They begin their life at a huge disadvantage. This perpetuates a vicious cycle and imposes a rough destiny on those youngsters and their children.  In certain instances, they become the target for others to exploit and bully.

To change the situation, it is necessary to begin with education.  To provide children of poverty with a basic education is to grant them the opportunity to change their future.   When education becomes universally available, the indigent environment has a chance to improve.

When I wrote the article "This Is The Time," through a self-evaluating and self-awakening process, I realized that it is imperative for the Chinese children deprived of educational opportunities to receive assistance.  Led by true compassion and enthusiasm, I began to single-handedly take on the challenging task of building elementary schools in barren mountain areas.   Nevertheless, one person's effort is limited and often the ability fell short of my wishes.  I urgently need to seek assistance among friends like you.  Only if we unite in a concerted effort and work in full cooperation will we achieve the goal of universal access to education.  This was my motivation for founding the "Hope School Foundation."

Thanks to the selfless devotion of many volunteers and their enthusiastic participation, the "Hope School Foundation" was established.  It has a simple mission: to provide educational opportunities to children of needy families or those who have been deprived of education in the remote rural areas in China. The foundation will do its best to provide funds to build or refurbish school buildings in remote areas or to award scholarships to aid those helpless children in fulfilling their educational pursuits.

As the Foundation is in its pioneering stage, we walk every step with great difficulty, and move forward with intense vigilance.   Not only do we constantly strive to build our knowledge and skills, we also humbly seek advice from forerunners who have more experience in this field.  Among the advice we received, the most valuable one came from a charitable organization for school assistance in New York.  Its Director generously shared his valuable ideas and suggestions with us.  This organization focuses on rendering assistance to the Southwest area in China, around the provinces of Szechwan and Kweichow.  They are not in the position to expand their services to other areas in the near future.   This organization earnestly urged us to join them to make the best use of our combined time and energy, and to receive the benefit of getting twice the result with half the effort.  However, China is vastly spread-out geographically with an enormous population.  There are countless villages, towns, and cities in the Northeastern areas equally in need of assistance.  Somehow, the thought "the joy of harvest comes with intensive sweats in planting the seeds" captured me, so I decided to begin this mission from scratch.  This Foundation selected the central area of He-Nan to commence our work.  We hope to provide considerable assistance to those poor children.

Another good example worth following is an educational scholarship foundation in Northern California.  They focus on assisting students of needy families who are in good academic standing.  I recognize their good intentions, however, since academic achievement is among their criteria, many needy youths will doubtlessly be excluded.   I do not believe students of weak academic performance are necessarily unintelligent or have not worked hard enough.  Oftentimes, the learning environment posts such an obstacle that it hinders learning capacity.  Proper education should emphasize teaching all levels with no class distinctions.  Regardless of a pupil's talent and intelligence, the principle of equal opportunity in receiving education should apply to everyone.  This belief led our Foundation to define our primary mission: the establishment of schools.  It is our hope that we will be able to inspire others to expand our potential to maximize the benefits.  Should our resources permit, we would also like to provide finance assistance to the students of needy families so they will not be compelled to discontinue their education due to financial difficulty.

The beginning stage is often the most challenging. Under conditions of limited manpower and resources, this Foundation, captured by a spirit of servicing others and heart-felt empathy, blazes a new trail.  Like the pioneers, driving a cart in ragged clothes and enduring great hardship, we expend tremendous efforts in opening up a virgin land.  We sincerely invite all who share with our compassion to join our team. A Chinese proverb says: "Many grains of sand piled up will make a pagoda."  Let our loving and caring spirits congregate to form the power of love like a roaring river to nurture the educationally barren land.  Let our loving hearts spread the seeds and help them grow into blossoms and bear fruit to yield positive results.

貧窮有時候會帶給人很大的苦惱，經濟的拮据、物質的匱乏常壓迫著為人父母的喘不過氣來，連帶著天真無邪的孩子們也受到影響，無法從事一般正常的教育，從而在人生的起跑線上落後別人一大截。惡性循環的結果，往往注定他辛酸困苦的一生，常常成為遭人剝削欺侮的對象。 

要想改變這種情況，唯有從教育著手。提供貧困兒童正常的基礎教育，才有可能改變他的未來。能夠使教育普及，也才有機會改善當地的貧窮狀態。 

筆者所著「該是時候了」一文，透過自身的反省和覺醒，體認到中國貧窮地區失學兒童需要幫助的迫切性，憑著滿腔熱情和一己之力，開始在偏遠山區從事修建小學的艱巨任務。然而，畢竟是人單勢孤、力不從心。故急需朋友您的支助，大家同心協力才能完成教育廣植深耕的工作。因此興起成立“愛心助學基金會”的計劃。 

今天「愛心助學基金會」的成立，是靠著義工們的無私奉獻和熱心參與才得以實現。其宗旨非常單純，為了使中國偏遠地區的窮苦學生和失學兒童有接受教育的機會，基金會盡其所能，或者撥款在窮鄉僻壤修建學校教舍，或者對無能為力者提供獎助學金，幫助他們達成求學的心願。 

本基金會尚在草創之初，舉步維艱、戒慎恐懼，除了摸索磨練期許自我不斷精進外，也向同業先進們虛心請教學習，其中獲益最大的首推紐約地區的某助學計劃。該組織負責人不吝賜教，提供諸多寶貴意見，是我們學習效法的楷模。唯該組織較偏重專注於中國西南部地區四川、貴州一帶，未來尚無法擴展其服務範圍。雖經該組織極力邀請加入其工作，可收省時省力、事半功倍之效。然而中國幅員遼闊、人口眾多，東北部地區需要關愛照顧的省市鄉鎮多的也是不勝枚舉，況且「沒有揮汗播種，那能含笑收割？」於是本基金會擇定從中原地區的河南省展開工作，希望能多多幫助那裏可憐的孩子。 

另 一個值得我們借鏡的組織是位於北加州的某教育基金會，他們的工作目標是資助品學兼優的清寒學生。其立意甚佳，只可惜常有遺珠之憾。而且功課不好的學生，並 不一定表示他們的資質愚鈍或者努力不足，常常是因為外在的環境和艱困的現實而妨礙了他們在學習上的表現。況且教育的精神貴在「有教無類」，無論他們的才、 智、平、庸、愚、劣，應該都有平等接受教育的機會和權利。有鑑於此，本基金會即以修建學校為第一要務，期望能擴大影響層面，創造最大受惠效益。同時倘若行有餘力，也要設法資助那些無能為力者，使他們不致因為繳不起學雜費而中輟學習。 

萬事起頭難，本基金會在有限的人力和財力的情況下，本著「人溺己溺、人飢己飢」的服務精神，胼手胝足、篳路藍縷地開創新局。殷切懇請社會各界有心人士加入我們的行列，使 我們能聚砂成塔、眾擎易舉。將我們點點滴滴的愛心匯集成滾滾大川，去澆灌那些教育設施貧瘠枯竭的地方。讓愛心撥撒下的種子，在各處茁壯成長、開花結果。