Sun Village

	About Sun village
	What is Sun Village?
	Sun Village is a non-governmental charitable organization that has provides foster care and education for children of convicts for over ten years. Our charitable services include special education, psychological counseling, rights protection and vocational training. Over the past eleven years, Sun Village has helped more than 1000 children in Beijing, Xi'an, Xinxiang of Henan and Long County in Shaanxi.
	Who is the founder of Sun Village?
	Sun Village was founded by Ms. Shuqin Zhang. Ms Zhang was born in 1948 and grew up in Xinxiang. In her career, Ms. Zhang has acted as a Class One supervisor at prisons and was also a journalist focusing specifically on the prison service. In 1996, Ms. Zhang established the first children's village in Shaanxi to educate and look after a number of children of convicts.
	Where does the funding come from?
	The funding mainly comes from three ways: a. Local and foreign donation from corporations and individuals; b. Self-earning from production and trade; and c. Government sponsorship.
	What kinds of businesses is Sun Village engaged in? Who is manages these businesses?
	In order to collect enough funding to sponsor the four children's villages, Sun Village has started their own businesses. These businesses are co-managed by the staff and the children living there: Sun Village plump business: Sun Village invested in less risky plump tree business. More donations would be collected through sponsoring plump trees. Also, it is a good training for the children at Sun Village. Resources centre: Sun Village supports a green-environment. Therefore, selling second-hand clothes and other leftover resources (after cleaning and disinfection) is another source of income. Paintings, crafts and needle-works: Sun Village organizes arts classes for the children. It is hoped that the children can learn to relax through these classes. The artwork is also sold to support the living of these children at Sun Village.
	How does Sun Village manage the funding?
	Sun Village adopts a strict accounting system. An auditing firm is hired to be responsible for annual reports. All the donations are recorded with receipts, and are published online for transparency. As for purchasing daily needs for Sun Village, one must complete a purchasing form and receive approval from managers. The supplier must also issue receipts. When claiming money, the receipt must be signed by the purchaser, auditor and manager.

	About the children at Sun village
	How do children arrive at Sun Village?
	There are three channels: a. We conduct research at prisons. Some children are sent to us directly, while others are collected from their original homes; b. Convicts read about Sun Village in the news and write to us. A background check will be conducted by the prison. Children satisfying the conditions will be sent to Sun Village; c. Communities where the children reside contact us. We conduct a background check and if necessary the children are then brought under our care.
	What is the age range of the children at Sun Village? How do you organize them?
	Children at Sun Village aged from 4 months to 18 years old. Children over 6 years old are sent to schools for education. Sun Village is divided into different small families, with 14 children as one unit. They live together in a 110 square meters apartment with bedroom, sitting room and restroom. Each unit is managed by a “mother” who takes care of their daily life, and to assists them in education.
	What are the characteristics of these children?
	These children are often neglected by society and the government, and can occasionally have quite serious mental illnesses. It is not unusual for them to have a criminal record.
	What types of problems do these children sometimes have?
	Some of the children are full of hatred and want to take revenge, some cannot place their trust in others, and some can have violent tendencies. Many of these children are very sensitive and may suffer some degree of jealousy. Those that were left to fend for themselves after their parents were imprisoned may have more serious mental problems.
	How does Sun Village help these children solve these problems?
	Every child at Sun Village is assigned to psychiatrists for counseling. Each year, Sun Village invites professional psychiatrists for staff training. Psychiatrists and other professionals conduct special counseling for children with serious mental problems. In December 2002, Sun Village organized a national conference to discuss the mental health for children of convicts. Local and foreign psychiatrists and psychologists were invited to join this conference.

	About the service of Sun village
	How can Sun Village help these children?
	There are two types of sponsorship to help the children. They are ‘centralized' sponsorship and ‘separated' sponsorship. Centralized sponsorship implies that donations are centralized to build Sun Villages for the children. These children are cared for under our supervision and Sun Village ensures that it has the necessary lawful approval from their parents. Accommodation, education and medical expenses will be sponsored by Sun Village. These children will be reunited with their parents when they are released from prison. To the children of long-term convicts, Sun Village will sponsor them until the ages of between 16 to 18 years old. Sun Village provides vocational training for them so that they can earn a living afterwards. Separated sponsorship is for children who are left behind to live with their relatives. The funding is transferred from Sun Village directly to these families.
	How frequently do children living in Sun Village meet with their parents?
	Children living in Sun Village usually meet with their parents once or twice a year. Each month, they can talk to their parents over the phone. Since these children come from some 14 provinces across China, transportation is sometimes challenging. Nevertheless, it is ensured that these children can meet with their parents once at least.
	How do children receive education at Sun Village?
	To ensure that the children can integrate into the society, there is no school in Sun Village. Children attend schools in the neighborhood. Examples include BanQiao Primary and Secondary School. Sun Village sponsors the children for 9 years of their education. For children who wish to attend university, Sun Village can provide an advanced education sponsorship that includes tuition and accommodation to help them participate in entry examinations. For those that intend to work after Middle School, Sun Village provides vocational training.
	What kinds of vocational training are provided by Sun Village?
	There are three kinds of vocational training. First, temporary training that lasts for four to six months. Second, medium-length training that lasts for one and a half years. Third, long-term vocational training that includes classes in technology, finance, catering, car-repairing, fashion design, and needle work. Because of the various categories of training, the costs are different. Though so, the average annual tuition, accommodation and living expenses add up to an amount of RMB $4000.
	Are there career services provided to the children?
	Sun Village is dedicated to helping the children of convicts, providing them with both foster care and education. It is hoped that when these children grow up they can live an independent life. As a result, Sun Village provides three channels for these children to hunt for jobs: a. Start up their own business; b. Refer them to different government departments; c. Supports these children to start up a business with their parents
	Currently, how extensive is the coverage of Sun Village in China?
	There are four Children's Villages in Beijing, Xi'an, Xinxiang of Henan and Long County in Shaanxi. Together they serve children of convicts from 13 provinces and cities. In August 2008, Shanxi, Henan, Hubei, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Ningxia and Qinghai provinces adopted the separate sponsorship campaign by Sun Village.
	Can we set up scholarships for children in aspects such as healthcare, funding visit from relatives and career development? How are the scholarships managed?
	Scholarships are managed by both the sponsors and Sun Village. Sun Village is responsible for expenditure, and sponsors are responsible for monitoring the program.

	About the sponsorship for the children at Sun village
	How to Sponsor
>>	How can we join the centralized sponsorship program?
	Sun Village needs funding to sponsor children's accommodation, education and healthcare spending. It also needs financial support in administration and communication expenses. There are three ways to join the centralized sponsorship program: Direct donation: Donation can be on a regular fixed amount basis or a one-time basis. Sun Village regularly reports to the donors on the use of these expenses. Sun Village List of Daily-needs: There is a list of different daily-needs required by Sun Village, both for new and second-hand. Donation of resources: After collection, Sun Village will then clean and categorize the resources, before selling them in remote places as a means of collecting funding.
>>	How can we sponsor a child on a long-term basis?
	The monthly long-term sponsorship is RMB$350, or RMB$4,200 annually. The contract should be signed by both Sun Village and the sponsors. The length of sponsorship is determined by the sponsors and it is possible to have two sponsors supporting one child. The sponsored child is usually recommended by Sun Village, but sponsors can select their sponsor targets as well. These children can communicate with the sponsors through writing letters.
	Separate sponsorship
>>	How can separate sponsorship help the children and Sun Village?
	Under this program, children can receive education, and live both healthily and happily.
>>	How much does it cost for separate sponsorship?
	For children below the sixth grade, annual sponsorship is RMB$1,050. Out of this amount, RMB$360 would be spent on accommodation expenses, RMB$240 would be spent on medical and RMB$150 would be spent on education. Also, RMB$300 would be used on sponsoring the transportation of child to visit their parents (not including accompanying staff).
>>	How do we pay for the sponsorship?
	Sponsorship can be paid on a monthly basis (RMB$90), seasonal basis (RMB$360) or annual basis (RMB$1,050). For sponsors outside of China, the sponsorship is USD$15 monthly.
>>	Is USD$130 (RMB$1,050) enough for a child?
	As most of the children are based in Western China, the cost of living is not as high as other parts of the country. Aside from the sponsorship by Sun Village, the government and relatives are also responsible for supporting the well-being of the children.
>>	How can we ensure that sponsorship funding has spent on the children?
	Information regarding a child's necessities and needs is provided by the parents. Sun Village will then pass the funding collected to the parents. After approval by the parents, the prison staff will then mail the money to the relatives that the child is living with. Following this, a receipt is sent to the parents for signature. Sun Village also receives a receipt for accounting purposes. Sponsors can communicate with the child, and can also request for receipts.
	Advanced education sponsorship
>>	What is advanced education sponsorship?
	Advanced education sponsorship is awarded for children with strong academic results. The aim of this sponsorship is to help these children attain a higher education and to aid their contributions to society.
>>	What is included in the advanced education sponsorship package?
	The package includes stationary, textbooks, accommodations and daily expenses for high school education. However, due to regional cost of living differences, the expenses would not be the same for every child. A minimum annual expense has been set at around RMB$5,000. With regard to university education, Sun Village encourages the students to borrow loans, and to work part-time to support part of their tuition fees.
	Others questions for sponsorship
>>	What happens if sponsors forget to pay?
	Sun Village will pre-pay for sponsorship, and send a reminder to sponsors. However, due to the limited resources of Sun Village, if a sponsor has not paid for two months, Sun Village will be forced to identify another sponsor to support the child.
>>	Can sponsors give out pocket money to children?
	Yes. Sun Village agrees with the idea to give out pocket money during holidays. Sponsors are encouraged to send in the pocket money one month earlier, and children who receive the money will send a thank you letter to sponsors. Please do not send the money directly to the children or to their relatives. Sponsors can also state the use of the pocket money sent.
>>	Can sponsors send pocket money to children that they have sponsored before？
	Yes. Please kindly send a letter for such request. If the child is still living at Sun Village, please send the pocket money to us and we will transfer it to the child. If the child has already left, Sun Village will first contact the child and inform the sponsors.
>>	What is the pocket money amount?
	There is no limitation for the amount of pocket money. Sponsors can decide the use of the money as well. If there is left-over money, Sun Village can help the children to manage it.
>>	Will the children receive all of the pocket money sent?
	Yes. Sun Village will pass the full amount to the children.
>>	What can sponsors do to obtain information about the children?
	Please kindly contact Sun Village for children's personal and family information.
>>	Can sponsors send letters to children?
	To protect the sponsors and the children, Sun Village will not disclose the sponsor's address and telephone number. It is also suggested by Sun Village that the sponsor should not disclose such information. If the sponsors want to send letters or gifts to the children, please kindly contact Sun Village.
>>	Can sponsors send E-mails to children?
	Yes, sponsors can send the E-mails directly to Sun Village. Sponsors should state their names and the names of the children. Sun Village will then pass the E-mails to the children. Please do not attach pictures to the E-mail.
>>	Can the children reply to sponsors' mails?
	Children will reply to the sponsors in two weeks time. Please be reminded to contact Sun Village if there is a change of address.
>>	Why were the letters that sponsors received not written by the children themselves?
	Some of the sponsored children may be too young and as yet unable to express themselves sufficiently though words. Under these circumstances, letters will be written by teachers or relatives.
>>	Can sponsors communicate with children who they have sponsored before?
	We understand how sponsors feel. However, due to budget limitations, Sun Village will not pass the letters to the children after sponsorship. Please kindly mail farewell letters within one month upon termination.
>>	Can sponsors send gifts to children?
	It is not encouraged to do so. This is because the postage fees can be high in certain remote locations. Sun Village believes it is preferential to provide financial support to the children.
>>	Can sponsors visit children they are sponsoring?
	Yes, they can. Sponsors can contact Sun Village for precise arrangements. Transportation and accommodation expenses should be covered by the sponsors themselves.
>>	Is there a time limit for sponsoring?
	Sponsorship can be a long-term financial commitment. However, once their parents are freed or once the children reach 18 years old, sponsorship must be terminated. Sun Village will then recommend another child for sponsorship. If sponsors want to terminate the sponsorship, please kindly provide Sun Village with one month's notice.