CWEF ANNUAL REPORT 2015 i

ANNUAL REPORT 2015

www.cwef.org.hk

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FOREWORDCWEF exists to walk with, encourage and support individuals who want to see their communities thrive and become places that serve and inspire hope and others. Thanks to your generosity, we are able to carry this out through our projects, and for that we are very thankful.

As we strive to help our partners and beneficiaries develop and grow, we at CWEF have also seen changes brought on by our own growth and learning. As the years pass, we have dedicated more time to people, deepening our relationships, engagement and impact. We continue to witness long and strong relationships bringing forth positive, sustainable change.

In Cambodia, our team worked with local partners and teachers through a literacy project and service learning activities in a small school in Spean Chrey village. Through intentional time and relationship-building, CWEF and villagers worked together to identify a desire for improved sanitation and hygiene. This lead to the launch of a three-year HEAL project intended to train local health advocates in addition to providing latrines and health training for local families.

In Guangdong province, students have been impacted over the years by high school scholarships, REACH student development lessons, career workshops, and service learning activities. As they have grown from little girls into mature young women, members of our CWEF team have accompanied them on their journey, serving them as mentors and guides. Now studying in university, these young women have joined our team as CWEF interns and have laid the groundwork for a new program that will reach out to left-behind children in need.

It is thrilling to see our vision becoming reality. We are deeply grateful to you for making this possible, and we invite you to continue walking with CWEF and the people we serve.

CWEF Staff

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In HKD / % 2014 2015IncomeDirect Project Donation $ 2,954,332 62% $1,522,082 49%Private Administrative Grants $ 692,468 15% $1,033,948 33%General Purpose Donation $ 251,578 5% $246,300 8%Volunteer and Service Learning Income $ 810,716 17% $273,449 9%Other Income $ 45,998 1% $31,141 1%

$ 4,775,092 $3,106,919.50 ExpendituresPrograms $3,519,410 78% $2,310,934.06 68%Head Office Support & Fundraising $316,283 7% $828,843.63 24%Volunteers and Service Learning $661,671 15% $251,965.04 7%

$4,497,364 $3,391,742.73

OUR FINANCES

EXPENDITURES

Programs

Volunteers &

Service Learning

Head Office Support

INCOME

Project Donations

Volunteers &

Service Learning

General Donation

Administrative Grants

Other Income

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CWEF was founded upon the core belief that education provides people the ability to chart a new future. In 2014, the foundation continued to facilitate creative techniques in enriching education for rural communities in China and Cambodia. From scholarship programs to vocational education, CWEF organized initiatives to improve the richness of classroom instruction, teacher access to education materials, and the awareness of the value of education among rural parents. CWEF’s program methods intentionally engage communities at all levels, including people in traditional leadership roles, and people who are living day-by-day to provide for their family. Through this multi-level engagement, there is a visible impact on individual communities.

EDUCATION

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The cornerstone of generational change in disadvantaged communities is access to education and creation of human networks. By investing in young community members through educational initiatives, teacher trainings, and community service activities, young people do not only graduate with their high school diploma; they also depart with a strong value for personal success and the mindfulness to share their success with the community at large. Many students in rural China today continue to struggle with poverty and the pressures of education and employment — issues students with only a traditional education are ill-equipped to overcome.

CWEF has a proven record in working with high school students to bolster student confidence and future planning skills. Through monthly workshops and day camps, students build community with their peers and teachers to apply learning in practical exercises. In collaboration with CWEF student scholarship programs, low-income students gain the confidence and ability to succeed and fulfill their potential.

As the REACH program continues to facilitate this learning, CWEF is seeing our high school graduates come back to serve as teachers, volunteers and interns to expand the benefits of the program to new, under served communities.

RESILIENCE EDUCATION:ADVOCACY, COLLABORATION & HOPE

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HEALTHIn many rural towns of Asia, not only is the infrastructure for health care non-existent, the populace are largely illiterate in the matters of health. A series of four Parenting and Nutrition trainings were

held at Christ of Hope Church in Thmor Keo Village, Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia. Twelve participants from five surrounding villages were invited to attend the training sessions.

At the first training in November 2014, CWEF staff gave Pastor Heng Kimhai and the nine participants a pre-knowledge survey. Participants were given 30 minutes to complete the survey. Then CWEF

staff led a short devotion about God’s love for all people based on John 3:16.

The remainder of the first training focused on breastfeeding and weaning, healthy eating and safe food preparation. None of the participants had attended any type of nutrition and parenting training

before; all of their previous nutrition and parenting knowledge came from television shows and knowledge passed down from family members. Before the end of the training, all participants worked

together with the CWEF trainers to conduct practice household surveys to prepare them for doing household visits on their own in the weeks to come.

The second training in January 2015 began with CWEF staff leading a devotion based on 1 Corinthians 3:16. After reviewing content from the first training, we continued with lessons on the

importance of fruits and vegetables for children and continued teaching on healthy eating. After the lessons, the participants formed three groups to prepare porridge with vegetables and meat.

At the third training in April 2015, CWEF staff started with a short devotion on Genesis 35:16-19. The lessons during the third training focused on family planning, the value of education and health

education and major health issues. Participants also returned 46 completed household baseline surveys to CWEF staff.

In May 2015, the final training covered topics such as the growth of children, parenting infants and toddlers and the importance of play. CWEF staff conducted a post-training knowledge survey to see how much the participants understood and remembered from the trainings. Four of the participants

showed high levels of understanding and were chosen as parenting and nutrition advocates to pass on what they had learned to others in their home communities. Finally, participants received parenting

and nutrition training certificates, and returned 51 completed follow-up household surveys.

The training group faced a number of challenges, including finding appropriate times for all the trainees and overcoming the illiteracy of a small number of people in the group. Despite the

challenges, the Parenting & Nutrition project at Thmor Keo village made it possible for the participants to gain new knowledge and to be inspired to pass on what they had learned for the benefit of their

families, friends and neighbors. It was a good opportunity for participants to share the Gospel — and their new health knowledge — with their neighbors as many of the villagers were curious about the

training.

Alongside health education, CWEF works with communities to install sanitation infrastructure, including clean drinking water systems, sanitary latrines and solar showers. This infrastructure

improves the hygienic environment in the villages, reduces the need for traditional fuel sources, including coal and forest-sourced wood, and provides rural villagers with a higher quality of life.

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The issue of health in rural communities is key to both economic development of village areas and school attendance for rural children. Though the government moves to improve the lives of its people, millions of children today still face life-long, debilitating disorders as a result of misconceptions about basic health and nutrition knowledge. Life-threatening diarrhea, pneumonia and stunted growth plague a portion of the population. Less than half of all public sanitation services have been utilized, highlighting the need for basic health education.

CWEF promotes sustainable health education through HEAL, where the establishment of health advocacy centers and training of advocates within the community leads to an increased awareness of health risks and empowers community members to make informed decisions to preserve the health of their family members and community. From something as simple as teaching children how to brush their teeth properly, CWEF helps to develop stable and healthy living conditions where community members can prosper without the worry of easily preventable diseases and issues.

The HEAL program identifies and partners with rural communities and schools without sanitation facilities to implement health programs and develop health facilities including reliable drinking water systems, latrines and showers.

HEAL partners with the local government to create health advocacy centers inside existing facilities for the health library and materials, a health education room, and a television and DVD player to present health education videos. Advocates are identified and trained at both the school and community levels. The advocates host health promotion activities, and the CWEF staff and volunteers ensure program objectives are met.

HEALTH EDUCATIONADVOCACY | LITERACY

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STORY FROM THE FIELDWITH THE MEDICAL SERVICE TEAM

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In May 2014, a team of three registered nurses from Concordia University Irvine travelled to a rural farming village in Yunnan to perform physical health assessments for 140 primary school students at a local boarding school. The students were from the Yi and Miao minority groups and ranged in age from five to 15 years old. The students reside at school during the week and visit their families in their home villages on the weekends.

Many rural residents in China have limited access to health care. Prior to the CWEF nursing team’s visit, there had not been an organized physical health assessment at the school. It was a new experience for many of the students to have a physical health assessment and meet foreigners. As a new experience, many of the students were nervous during their assessments but this quickly abated when they experienced the care of the nurses and translators.

Over the course of two days, the team was able to assess and identify specific problem areas, such as deformed ears, heart murmurs,

dental cavities, and impaired vision. The team was also able to make recommendations for additional care as needed.

This health assessment trip would not have been possible without the long-term partnership between the CWEF team and the local school. The team greatly appreciated all of the school’s preparation and facilitation of the team’s visit. CWEF has been able to use the information gathered from the physical health assessments to gain a better understanding of the general health of the whole population of the village.

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LOCATIONS IN ASIAWE OPERATE IN CHINA AND CAMBODIA

CHINA ·中国

YUNNAN ·云南

CAMBODIA · កម្ពុជា

GUANGDONG ·广东

SHANGHAI ·上海

HONG KONG ·香港

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ABOUTConcordia Welfare & Education Foundation is a Hong Kong based non-profit organization founded by Lutheran Christians and dedicated to improving the lives of impoverished rural communities in Asia through education and service.

We partner with local communities, organizations and governments to identify sources of poverty and implement programs in the areas of education and community health.

We believe education creates opportunities for people to change their lives and create a new future.

MISSION

PROGRAM PRINCIPLESSincerity in Action• We respect all people involved in CWEF work.• The work we do reflects our commitment to quality, to caring for others and to our

core values.

Bridge Building• Through communication and action, we facilitate cooperation and partnership

between our stakeholders.• We promote cultural understanding and mutual respect.

Commitment to Local Needs• Local needs are valued and guide project development.• We foster ownership and local participation in all projects.

Sustainable Impact• Always accounting for available resources, we plan and implement projects that

result in long-term improvements in people’s lives.• Project goals are set and impacts are measured.

Transformation• To enhance livelihoods, we equip people with new knowledge and awareness

through training and education.• We enable people to discover opportunities to help themselves and others.

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SUPPORTDonations are crucial to our work in China and Cambodia: they keep our staff coordinated, our

projects funded and, most importantly, they increase communities’ health and access to education.Your support can come in the form of direct donation to specific programs or general CWEF activities.

Our store offers a convenient and secure donation method, visit: www.cwef.org.hk/get-involved/donate-online.

If you wish to support us further, such as financial partnerships, feel free to contact info@cwef.org.hk for more information.

DONATE

VOLUNTEERCWEF offers service learning that involves volunteers working with communities in China and

Cambodia. Not only do those that we serve benefit, these programs provide a profound perspective and experience that can inspire new, positive action.

Contact us at info@cwef.org.hk for more information.

Concordia Welfare and Education FoundationFlat C, 6/F Han Yee Building, 21 Hankow Road

TST, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2337 2036

Website: www.cwef.org.hk

Email: info@cwef.org.hk