An eco bag produced by Chi Heng's social enterprises is put on sale on Taobao. (Photo/Taobao.com)
Q: And what's the importance of social enterprises? Do you have plans to establish more projects of this kind?
A: Social enterprise is definitely a good way of helping and might be a future trend. The Village 127 bakery in Shanghai and the eco bag factory are two of our major social enterprises. Employees at the bakery include 127 children we sponsored. They received bakery training under a joint program with a French volunteer group. The eco bag factory hires women in HIV/AIDS-affected families in rural Henan Province, so they can work at their home. These bags are sold to contracted hotels and also on Taobao. We try to offer these people a job so they can live on their own and the profit can help enlarge our fund pool. We've raised about 39 million yuan last year. Contribution by our social enterprises is taking an increased share. We do hope that one day we could totally rely on our social enterprises for all our spending.
However, it's still too early to take social enterprise as a universal cure. Not all charity missions are suitable for social enterprises. For example, we can't start an enterprise to hire a group of teenagers in need of help. That's why donation is still the most important way of support for many groups.
Q: Chi Heng has been maturing for more than a decade. And we know that there are many other groups in need of help, such as left-behind children and those who struggle with poverty. Does the organization have plans to try its model in addressing other concerns?
A: Yes. It's definitely worth trying. Through hundreds of trips to China's countryside over the past years, I learned that HIV/AIDS is one but not the only threat for rural people. It will be great if our experiences could help with addressing these concerns, as long as we can raise enough money to support our projects. In fact, we are in touch with China Youth Development Foundation to promote our "Live Classroom" project. We have volunteers teach practical skills and moral education courses through live videos. A teacher will be assigned to a small group of students so that they can better establish a fixed connection and make friends with each other. What matters for rural children is a sense of companionship. Therefore, these teachers can have a deeper impact on their students compared to those on-site volunteer teachers who may leave in a month or after one semester.
Q: Through all these years, is there any moment of breakdown, or did you ever think about giving up?
A: I've never thought about giving up, though there was a very hard period in the first few years. It was around 2004 and 2005, when I almost fell into depression. At that time, Hong Kong was haunted by the aftermath of SARS. The whole of society was in a quite low mood. There were also many difficulties for Chi Heng and myself. Money raising wasn't going well; efforts proved exhausting; and I saw quite a lot of horrifying scenes involving AIDS patients dying. Sometimes, you are very affected by the group if you stay too long with them. You take on their perspective unconsciously. It's both good and bad. On one hand, you know more about their needs; but on the other, their fear, hopelessness and anger will be passed on to you. You will become doubtful about the meaning of what you are doing. If you look at my album, I didn't smile in any of the picture. And I would unconsciously hold my fists tight all the time.
But when I heard about the suicide of Iris Chang (writer of The Rape of Nanking), I realized that I was in a similar situation and have to do something to save myself. Luckily I was introduced to a therapist and we often had chats. And Bai Xianyong, my mentor and friend, also told me to set a more realistic goal and drop my sense of guilt for not being able to help everyone. I realized that despite the fact that we can only help a limited number of people, for each, life may be changed 100 percent. And that's what we should strive for.
I was more comforted to see our efforts pay off in recent years. Some of the children we helped have entered college. Some got married and started their own families. All this gives me some hope and courage to deal with future difficulties.
Q: You're the name card of Chi Heng. But do you think the foundation is too much reliant on your personal influence and credibility?
A: Yes. I'm more and more concerned about the problem in recent years. I'm also pondering on what role I should play? I used to discuss it with many chairpersons and charity founders. They agree that a famous spokesperson would help lift the brand's image quickly in the beginning phase, but that the brand should build its own credibility when it develops to a certain stage. However, timing it right is really difficult. I've considered "retiring" when Chi Heng celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2018, but I also have some worries. I know that for many brands, cultivating public trust would take generations. I don't think Chi Heng is ready to have me behind the scenes, but I do hope we can strive to improve the institution, so that one day it can have anyone as its chairperson.
Q: Wow, quite a lot of thinking. And do you have any plans after your "retirement"?
A: Of course, I won't leave Chi Heng and leave charity. Maybe I'll pay more attention to explore social enterprises. China's developing at a fast speed, but there are lots of imbalances. Actually, many groups in an inferior position just lack a chance to join in the grand process. I think social enterprises might be able to play a good part in poverty alleviation, because the idea behind social enterprises is cooperation, rather than the concept of "giver and taker".
Q: China has just passed its first charity law. In what way will it affect the operation of Chi Heng？
A: Well, the new law offers some principles for charity work. But I think a basic idea is that every society should strike a balance between encouraging participation in charity and ensuring proper management and supervision. We need some rules so that kindness won't be abused and manipulated. And I think the law has left a room for future exploration. For example, it doesn't have a lot of restrictions for online fund raising.
Meanwhile, I think people should have an open mind toward charity. When there's someone who wants to help, don't hurry in challenging their motives at first. As for donors, they have no need to care too much about judgement, as long as they are making some real contribution. Time will honor a good deed.
