Support Girls' Education in Rural China

The 27th SOAR Annual Conference was held online on December 10th, 2022 at 4pm PT. About 100 participants including the volunteers, donors, alumni, and students joined the celebration for SOAR’s 27 years of achievements!

The conference was hosted by Mr. Eastman J., one of our seasoned volunteers in the fundraising department. First, Mr. Davy K., the Chairman of SOAR Board of Directors, gave the opening remarks. Mr. K. welcomed all the friends for joining the conference. He then expressed gratitude to all donors for their generous donations. Also thanked the collaborating organizations for their support, and all the volunteers for their dedications and devotions. It is the joint efforts of everyone that brought about SOAR’s inspiring achievements in supporting more than 15,000 students in China in the past 27 years. 

Next, Mr. Jianmin Z., Consul General of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in San Francisco, gave a keynote speech. He praised SOAR’s perseverance in supporting rural education in China and wished all the best for SOAR’s future development.

SOAR President Ms. Li L. then presented the annual performance review. The key aspects in the annual report include: 

1. Although students’ selection and awarding process of SOAR scholarships changed because SOAR has now officially registered as an oversea NGO entity in China, SOAR’s stringent criteria and the principles of equality, fairness and transparency will never change. 
2. SOAR preschool program has been officially launched after 2 years of trials and piloting and has sponsored two kindergartens, both in the mountainous Huize County, Yunnan Province. 
3. The opportunities and challenges for SOAR operating in China as an officially registered oversea NGO entity both exist but we are confident to drive SOAR towards new achievements.
4. SOAR’s future plans include: i. Seek for more schools and/or or areas needing SOAR’s support. ii. Further develop the preschool programs to include more kindergartens. iii. Expand the volunteer team in China, and etc.     
5. Introduction and applause for each of the volunteer departments since they overcame tremendous difficulties during the pandemic to ensure the normal operations of SOAR.

SOAR’s Chief Financial Officer Ms. Annie C. presented the summary of income and expenses of SOAR since 2004 and explained the details. She also explained how the changes in the exchange rates between US dollars and Chinese RMB over the years affected the RMB amount of each SOAR scholarship and the requested dollar amount from donors for supporting a student. She emphasized that SOAR has never reduced the amount disbursed to the students due to the fluctuations of exchange rates. And SOAR has been using the general pool of donations to make up the gaps of scholarships. 

Ms. Xiaojie T., head of SOAR Beijing Office, who was also a SOAR Alumna, shared her story with SOAR. She, on behalf of all the SOAR scholarship awardees, expressed the hearted gratitude to all the donors and volunteers of SOAR for their generous and kind support. She reported how SOAR Beijing Office executed all the programs after SOAR’s official registration as the oversea NGO entity and shared the work plan for the next year.

In the Q&A section, SOAR President Ms. Li L., Vice Presidents Ms. Qin C., and Ms. Lisa G. answered questions from the audience. 

Education is a long-term enterprise of great importance, most rewarding being the cultivation of talents throughout China. Over the 27 years, SOAR volunteers have never forgotten why we started this enterprise. We will keep our endeavors to support rural education in China.

Sincere appreciation for your kind support to SOAR Foundation!

The recording of this annual conference will be released later with Chinese/English subtitles for your reference. Please follow our official social media accounts below and keep tuned!