Amid scandals, a more direct approach to charity

(Ecns.cn) -- Some Chinese altruists are eschewing donations in favor of a more hands-on approach to charity by working for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or starting their own public welfare programs, the magazine Xinmin Weekly reports.

Liu Wei, born in 1992 in east China's Anhui Province, dropped out of college last year to develop his project "Angel's Gift," which aims to help in the battle against autism.

By selling unique products designed by autistic people, Liu hopes to raise funds to increase public awareness about the complex neurobiological disorder. All residual income goes to the original designers or related NGOs, he says.

The project held a successful sale of postcards painted and designed by autistic children last November, and has already partnered with at least 40 university student associations and 30 companies, reaching as many as 500,000 people.

"Compared to traditional methods of donation, this business model is much better for the development of China's charity," says Liu. "Young people's understanding of charity is changing, and helping those in need in a business-like fashion has gradually received a favorable response."

With scandal surrounding major charitable organizations in recent years, small-scale philanthropy is gaining popularity among Chinese, as many believe it offers more convenience and transparency, writes Xinmin Weekly.

Last year, Zhao Bin, a white-collar employee at a US-owned enterprise, joined a charity walk in Shanghai involving more than 2,000 people.

"The participants came from all walks of life, and differed greatly in financial capacity, but their goal was the same: to donate and buy food for poor children," says Zhao.

"People got exercise during the long-distance walk, but also found pleasure in offering a helping hand."

Online philanthropy has also shown hopeful new signs. Last month, the headmaster of a primary school in west China's Qinghai Province posted a plea for help: his teachers were forced to copy exams by hand because the school could not afford printers.

Gesanghua Education Aid, an online non-profit charity organization that works to improve schools in China's impoverished west, subsequently initiated a program to help raise funds for the school in cooperation with Taobao, China's biggest online retailer.

The program has raised a total of 264,166 yuan (US$42,425) from 55,907 donors, reaching 88 percent of its fundraising target, according to Yuan Jing, director of the program.

During one of his visits to China, billionaire investor Warren Buffett suggested that small-scale philanthropy should be encouraged because it is more admirable than large-scale efforts.

In China, charity donations account for less than 1 percent of GDP, and the charity cause is still in the early stages. As such, the creative efforts of independently-minded people offer hope for a more altruistic future here.