The  chairman’s trust

Touching  lives

       



TOUCHING LIVES The CLSA Chairman’s Trust



CLSA BOOKS CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets 18/F One Pacific Place 88 Queensway, Hong Kong

© August 2009 CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in a retreival system or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. The production of this book was wholly funded by CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets. Text is set in Helvetica and ITC Souvenir. Printed in Hong Kong by Charter Sense. ISBN: 978-988-98942-3-8



CLSA Chairman’s Trust

What’s inside Introduction: Jonathan Slone ................................................................................................................ 1 Two friends, one vision: Edwin Lucas ................................................................................................... 3 Where we are (project locations) .......................................................................................................... 5 PROJECTS IN ASIA Room to Read (Vietnam): Elaine Walker ............................................................................................. 7 Titian Foundation (Indonesia): Nick Cashmore .................................................................................. 13 Temple Garden Foundation (Cambodia): Ed Jenne ........................................................................... 19 Ayala Foundation: Gilas (Philippines): Mitzi de Dios ......................................................................... 25 Right to Read (Burma): Grace Hung ................................................................................................... 31 Parivaar Ashram (India): Anirudha Dutta ............................................................................................ 37 Quidan Kaisahan (Philippines): Mitzi de Dios ..................................................................................... 43 Agir pour les Femmes en Situation Précaire (Cambodia): Richard Pyvis ........................................... 51 Karya Salemba Empat (Indonesia): Ahmad Solihin ............................................................................ 52 Population and Community Development Association (Thailand): Andrew Hartley ............................ 53 Gentle Fund Organization (Vietnam): Meggie Pham and Tran Viet Tung ............................................ 54 EMERGENCY RELIEF Overview: Simone Wheeler ................................................................................................................. 57 Cyclone Nargis (Burma) ...................................................................................................................... 58 Sichuan Earthquake (China) .............................................................................................................. 60 PROJECTS IN AFRICA Band Aid Charitable Trust (Ethiopia): Philip Pritchard ........................................................................ 61 The Kipungani Schools Trust (Kenya): John Seagrim ......................................................................... 67 Bushfire Family UK (Uganda): Philip Whalley ..................................................................................... 73 Swaziland Charitable Trust (Swaziland): Vicky McDonaugh ............................................................... 79 Street Child Africa (Ghana, Senegal, Zimbabwe): Philip Pritchard ..................................................... 85 THE CHAIRMEN AND THE TRUST Growing up Coull: Leslie Coull ............................................................................................................ 91 A wonderful life: Sophie Walker ........................................................................................................... 95 Making dreams come true: Russell Napier ......................................................................................... 97 Mission and overview: Simone Wheeler ............................................................................................. 99 Learn more about the charities ......................................................................................................... 100



1 Touching Lives

Introduction Jonathan Slone

The CLSA Chairman’s Trust came into being in 2006, but its guiding

CLSA Chairman and CEO

spirit dates back to the founding of CLSA itself. For Gary Coull and Jim Walker, in whose memory the Trust was established, Asia was home as much as where they did business; the way they saw it, that meant a personal as well as a corporate commitment to the region and its people, particularly those left behind through no fault of their own. There was nothing run of the mill about Gary or Jim, and there’s nothing run of the mill about the company they created. They deplored the clubbishness, complacence and lack of commitment of established brokers. With their love of the underdog, their strong belief that broking should ‘tell the story’ and their staunch commitment to the region, they

Gary and Jim’s approach to

changed the way the business is conducted in Asia. Not surprisingly, Gary and Jim’s approach to charity was different, too. Simply handing over money usually wasn’t enough; CLSA had to

charity was

be actively involved. Even though our first major corporate effort was a

different. Handing

one-off donation - to Community Chest of Hong Kong to help with the

over money

continued to be an active supporter of the charity ever since.

wasn’t enough

humanitarian efforts after the devastating 1998 China floods - we have The Karen Napier Charity better highlights the CLSA approach. Established in 2000 by Russell Napier in memory of his wife, the charity provides scholarships for students from around the world to study investment analysis at Stirling University. At the suggestion of Andrew Riddick and Gary, the company set aside one day in November that year when clients could direct their commission payments to the Foundation, providing it with £370,000 seed money. We’ve revived that “dealing day” tradition in recent years to fund the activities of the Trust. When Jim died suddenly in 2004, Gary helped his widow, Elaine, and daughter, Sophie, establish the Walker Family Foundation with donations from clients and friends. In partnership with Room to Read, the Foundation provides scholarships to ensure Vietnamese girls can complete their secondary education. We believe that education is one of the most effective ways of helping break the poverty cycle, which is why it’s a key focus for the Trust. Our response to the 2004 Boxing Day earthquake and tsunami clearly defined how the Trust would come to operate: immediate relief, where needed; then helping people rebuild their lives and livelihoods. Through the generosity of clients and staff, CLSA raised more than



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 2

US$2 million to help with relief and reconstruction projects in Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The keys for us, as ever, were sustainability and accountability. We not only sent dollars; our people gave their time and energy in the immediate aftermath and over the following years - and they continue to do so. We were guided by the belief that solutions should come from those in need, rather than being imposed from outside. Richard Pyvis and Richard Savage were crucial in establishing our principle of working with charities and people on the ground that have the credibility and resources to deliver. After Gary’s death in 2006, the CLSA Chairman’s Trust was established, commemorating his and Jim’s commitment to Asia and its peo-

The Trust

ple, as well as embodying their inspired and inspiring approach to lend-

commemorates

ing a hand. That approach is encapsulated in the old Chinese proverb: ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and

Gary and Jim’s

you feed him for a lifetime.’

commitment

The Trust will always respond to emergencies, but our preference is to support grassroots initiatives that benefit directly and immediately

to the region

from our funding, with a focus on education, health and welfare, and

and its people

women and children. We particularly favour initiatives in which CLSA staff are actively involved. Over the following pages, we highlight some of the many projects with which we’re currently involved, in Asia and also Africa, as well as a number of major emergency relief efforts, and a handful of new projects representing the future. We also look back on how the Trust came to be, through the inspiration of Gary and Jim, and the establishment of the Karen Napier Charity and the Walker Family Foundation. The endeavours and successes highlighted in this book are a testament not only to Gary and Jim, but also the clients and staff of CLSA, particularly Richard Pyvis and Laurie Young, who share the commitment of our first Chairmen to touching the lives of others to make this a better world.

Jonathan Slone CLSA Chairman and CEO



3 Touching Lives

Two friends, one vision Edwin Lucas

CLSA was forged by two great friends. Jim Walker and Gary Coull arrived

CLSA Chief Executive Officer

in Hong Kong at the same time from opposite ends of the world and became the best of friends. Both journalists, they shared a passion for a breaking story, the excitement of Asia, the Hong Kong Football Club (Gary for the rugby; Jim for the hockey) and the Happy Valley racetrack. Jim left the South China Morning Post in 1982 to go into broking, and two years later co-founded Crosby Securities. When he moved to Winfull Laing & Cruickshank, he convinced Gary to join him. In 1989, they approached the firm’s French owners and CLSA was born. CLSA changed the way broking was conducted in Asia. With their

CLSA became

journalistic background, Jim and Gary reckoned broking should tell the

great because it

story, be punchy and, above all, be relevant. They deplored the lack

brought together

Together, they built a model that competitors have tried to follow.

Gary’s brilliant

of understanding and commitment of other brokerage houses in Asia. I first met Jim when my sister Elaine brought him back to the UK with her as her new Australian husband. I was 18 and it wasn’t long before

business mind

Jim took my 16-year-old brother, Nigel, and me on a tour of the pubs in

and Jim’s

our small town. We spiked every one of his drinks, but he still outlasted

personal touch

Jim made friends. There was simply no finer person to be with.

us. What impressed us even more was his charm: everywhere he went,

GARY COULL CHAIRMAN 1994-2006



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 4

Jim loved a punt and typically left the racetrack or casino with his pockets stuffed with notes (if they took his cash when he bet, he used to say, he wasn’t going to take a cheque when he won!). In later years, Jim and Gary would head to Australia religiously each year for the entire Melbourne Cup racing week. And when it wasn’t horses, it was cards or golf. The very best of friends, Jim and Gary were totally comfortable in each other’s company and could happily sit together silently. When they talked, it was often in their own lingo to baffle eavesdroppers. In 1994, Jim retired from CLSA to breed racehorses at Beaudesert

What impressed us even more was his charm: everywhere he went, Jim made friends. There was no finer person

near Australia’s Gold Coast. However, Gary managed to lure him back, officially to set up the accounts-management system that the company uses today, although his unofficial role was far more than that. Always approachable, he managed to find time for everyone in the company. CLSA became great because it was a partnership that brought together Gary’s brilliant business mind and Jim’s personal touch. Their spirit lives on in the company today. Gary and Jim believed in Asia and in helping those who needed a hand. It’s fitting that these two good friends are remembered through the work of the Chairman’s Trust. Edwin Lucas was CLSA Head of Broking from 2003 to 2006

JIM WALKER CHAIRMAN 1988-1994



5 Touching Lives

WHERE WE ARE

Uganda Bushfire Family UK See page 73

Ethiopia Band Aid Charitable Trust See page 61

India Parivaar Ashram See page 37

Kenya The Kipungani Schools Trust See page 67

Emergency relief Sichuan and Nargis See page 55

Ghana , Senegal, Zimbabwe Street Child Africa Page 85

Swaziland Swaziland Charitable Trust See page 79



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 6

Burma Right to Read See page 31

Vietnam Room to Read See page 7

Philippines Ayala Foundation See page 25

New projects Cambodia (AFESIP) Thailand (PDA) Vietnam (Gentle Fund) Indonesia (Karya Salemba) See page 49

Cambodia Temple Garden Foundation See page 19

Indonesia Titian Foundation See page 13

Philippines Quidan Kaisahan See page 43





Projects in Asia



7 Touching Lives

PHOTO: ROOM TO READ

ROOM TO READ



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 8

VIETNAM Charity: Room to Read Project: Provide scholarships for 100 Vietnamese girls, who would not otherwise be able to go to high school, over six years; support the local-language publishing programme in Vietnam. Funding: US$150,000 for scholarships, and US$30,000 for publishing

What is it? Room to Read was founded in 2000 by John Wood, who quit his job as a senior executive with Microsoft to set up the charity after trekking through Nepal and finding that school kids had almost no books. Since then, Room to Read has had a positive influence on the lives of more than 3.1 million children in Asia and Africa, through building schools and libraries, providing scholarships for girls, establishing computer and language labs, and publishing local-language titles.

How did we help? After CLSA’s first chairman, Jim Walker, died suddenly in November 2004, his wife, Elaine, and their adopted daughter, Sophie, decided to establish a memorial. With support from CLSA co-founder Gary Coull, they set up the Walker Family Foundation, committing sufficient funds to Room to Read to provide scholarships for 100 Vietnames girls. In 2008, the Chairman’s Trust, established in Jim and Gary’s memory, extended this involvement with Room to Read by helping to fund its local-language publishing programme. In 2009, seven new Vietnamese titles will be released, adding to the 22 published since 2005.



9 Touching Lives

The power of words Elaine Walker

Our daughter, Sophie, was born on 10 June 1993 in Hanoi. Jim and I

Walker Family Foundation

first saw her when she was 10 days old, and we adopted her four days later. A week after that in London, Gary Coull held Sophie for the first time, and the friendship between him and Jim took on a new dimension: from that time, Gary became a part of our extended family. Eleven years later, Jim died after a brief illness. Rather than have people send flowers, Sophie and I asked that they commemorate Jim’s life by helping us to support a charity. Soon after the memorial service, Gary and I talked about what the charity should be. As Sophie was Vietnamese, I was keen on something in Vietnam; and Gary kept saying

Jim would be

‘education’. As a result, CLSA’s marketing director at the time, Angel-

proud of what

choice became obvious.

we’re doing,

ique Marcil, introduced us to Room to Read’s founder, John Wood. The John set up Room to Read in 2000 after almost 10 years with Microsoft, running marketing and business-development teams throughout

as it mirrors so

Asia. In his book, Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, he recounts

many of the

how, while trekking in Nepal, he came across a large village school

things he loved

packers and were so highly prized they were kept under lock and key.

that had only a handful of books, most of which had been left by backHow could this be, he wondered, in a world with such material abundance? As John left, the headmaster said: ‘Perhaps, sir, you will some day come back with books.’ John doesn’t do things by halves. After he got back from his trek, he organised a book drive using the internet and, within two months, had collected more than 3,000, which he delivered to the school bundled on the back of a yak. At that moment, John made the decision to leave Microsoft and

Room to Read founder John Wood with children in Cambodia

create Room to Read.



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 10

What started as 3,000 books now numbers some 2.8 million and

LOCATION

counting. As well as donating books, Room to Read builds schools and 1

libraries and runs a scholarship programme for young girls (on top of the economic difficulties many children in the developing world face, 2

girls are often at a disadvantage culturally, as well). Room to Read now operates in Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Sri Lanka, Laos and Bangladesh, as well as in South Africa and Zam-

3

4 5 6 7

bia. It has helped to build 765 schools and set up more than 7,000 libraries, has published more than 300 local-language titles (amounting to millions of books), and sent more than 6,800 girls to school on longterm scholarships. Room to Read was the ideal charity for us. It brought together my

1. Nepal 2. Bangladesh 3. Laos 4. India

5. Vietnam 6. Cambodia 7. Sri Lanka

need to give something back to Vietnam and Gary’s passion for education. We signed an initial agreement to fund scholarships for 100 girls over six years. This will enable them to advance from the limitations of a primary-school education, which is all that’s compulsory in Vietnam,

FAST FACTS

into high school. While they’re on this programme, we cover all the girls’ costs, from school fees to uniforms, books and school supplies, tutoring, life-skills training, field trips, medical care and even transport if they require it. Some activities are also offered to their parents. Room to Read makes a long-term commitment to each girl: as long as she attends classes and participates in programme activities, it will continue to fund her education through to the end of secondary school. This gives the girls an opportunity to play an important role in the future of their villages and their country, and to show the benefits of a

VIETNAM Development Index: 0.718 (No.114) Life expectancy: 74.0 years (No.55) Adult literacy rate: 90.3% (No.64) GDP per capita: US$2,363 (No.129)

more complete education. We can hardly wait to see the results in the years to come. Jim would be particularly proud of what we’re doing, as it mirrors so many things he loved: Sophie and her Vietnamese ancestry, and his genuine love of Vietnam. Sophie is thriving at her own school in Aus-

The UN Human Development Index combines measures of life expectancy, literacy, educational attainment, and per-capita GDP worldwide. Rankings in brackets are out of 179 countries. All figures are for 2006

tralia, and now, through the Walker Family Foundation and the Chairman’s Trust, other children have a similar opportunity. Our hope is for the Trust to support Room to Read beyond our initial commitment.



11 Touching Lives

‘I don’t need anything more’ Xuan’s parents never finished primary school, and they’re

Xuan, 15

determined that she’ll do far better. ‘I think I finished second or third

Scholarship recipient

grade,’ says her father, ‘but I want my daughter to finish high school.’ mily, fishing Her parents work 10 hours a day to support the family, in the local river for seafood to sell. They believe that if Xuan has a good education, she’ll have a better life. Xuan walks to and from her school in Long An Province down a nts to study to long, muddy road. She enjoys her classes and wants become a teacher after she completes high school. Every day after school, Xuan does her homework and then helps her mother catch small crabs to sell at the local market the next morning. amp, Xuan At a Room to Read summer camp, expressed her deep admiration of her parents’ sacrifice ucceed. Asked what as something that drives her to succeed. ed: ‘If I was granted a she might wish for, Xuan replied: wish I would give that wish to my parents, because I he love I receive from don’t need anything more than the them. That’s enough for me.’

Now they can read all about it in their mother tongues As John Wood amassed more

more than 300 titles through

economies because each title is s

and more children’s books to

its local-language publishing

printed in the relevant country.

deliver to schools across Asia,

programme. All are written by

Most of the books also include

he soon realised how few

local authors and illustrated by

English translations.

there were written in the local

local artists, and typically are

languages. So, he set up his own

based on folktales that previously

donated US$30,000 to publish

publishing company.

were handed down only orally.

o one of the seven books Room to

In the six years since then, Room to Read has published

As well as fostering local talent, the programme helps local

The Chairman’s Trust has

am Read plans to produce in Vietnam in 2009.



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 12

‘It lessened the burden for my parents’ Nga, 19

One of the first graduates of

Scholarship graduate

the Room to Read scholarhsip programme, Nga is now studying

law at university. She has no doubt about the value of education, and spends every available hour of every day studying and working to pay for her fees. Without Room to Read, Nga says it would have been almost impossible for her family to have supported her through secondary school, despite her parents’ love and encouragement. ‘Room to Read’s help lessened the burden from my parents’ shoulders,’ she says. But it wasn’t solely the financial support. Nga says she was also inspired and excited by the passion of Room to Read’s staff and the friendships that she made through the programme. Nga recognises that attending university is a tremendous opportunity. Her aim is to continue to excel in her studies, to overcome any obstacles that may arise and to be successful as a lawyer ‘to support myself, my family and others’.



13 Touching Lives

PHOTO: CLSA ASIA-PACIFIC MARKETS

TITIAN FOUNDATION



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 14

INDONESIA Charity: Titian Foundation Project: Provide 83 teenagers, aged 16 to 19, with full, three-year scholarships, including tuition fees, uniforms, books, lunch and transport, to attend one of three local schools in Bayat, Yogyakarta. Funding: US$173,000

What is it? The Titian Foundation (Yayasan Titian Masa Depan ) was established by Lily Kasoem in 2006, in the wake of the Central Java earthquake. Lily was with Soroptimist International Jakarta in 2004, when we chose the community-focused women’s charity to help with our tsunami-relief efforts. We worked with Lily to help rebuild Lamreh, a devastated village in Aceh. Lily’s aim in starting the Titian Foundation was to help people get back on their feet, focusing on education and skills, with 100% of donations going directly to the projects.

How did we help? After the Titian Foundation organised the rebuilding of three schools in Bayat, Lily Kasoem asked the CLSA Chairman’s Trust to establish a scholarship programme. Many families were still in dire straits after the quake and unable to pay for higher education. The Trust was particularly impressed by the Foundation’s focus on helping people to help themselves: education is one of the most effective ways out of poverty. We agreed to 83 full, three-year scholarships and plan to increase this to 170 by the end of 2009. Two co-ordinators, whose salaries we meet, work with the students to encourage and motivate them and their parents.



15 Touching Lives

More to life than markets Nick Cashmore

On 27 May 2006, just before sunrise, a major earthquake hit Central

CLSA Indonesia Country Head

Java. Measuring a devastating 6.3, and followed within hours by two severe aftershocks, the quake killed almost 6,000 people, destroyed or damaged 135,000 houses and left some 1.5 million people homeless. Soroptimist International Jakarta was one of the charities we’d worked with after the December 2004 tsunami, and every one of us who came in contact with one of its key managers, Lily Kasoem, was knocked out by her drive and dedication. Soon after the quake, Lily set up the Titian Foundation (Yayasan Titian Masa Depan in Indonesian, meaning ‘bridge to the future’). She wanted to not only help people

Every one who came in contact

rebuild their homes, lives and communities, but give them the means to rebuild their futures. Quite rightly, she saw education as a key. Initially, Lily contacted the Chairman’s Trust to help reconstruct a

with Lily Kasoem

large junior high school in Bayat, a rural town about 30 minutes’ drive

was knocked

re-opened in June 2007. Now catering for more than 700 secondary

out by her drive

and 240 primary students, it acts as a feeder for so-called SMAs, which

and dedication

and job skills. We had the hardware: the schools. The most important

east of Yogyakarta. The Trust donated US$50,000, and the school

prepare kids for tertiary studies, and SMKs, which teach them trade thing now was the software: the students. To me, the obvious next step was a scholarship programme. So, in late 2007, we went back to the Trust. Why scholarships? Indonesia has an excellent record in basic education: teaching youngsters to read and write. Its 92% literacy rate compares with, say, India’s 60%. However, once the kids reach 15, their parents have to bear the entire cost of their education. It’s no surprise, then, that the dropout rate at that point is

Nick and Lily Kasoem meet one of the scholarship student’s parents

high. In the Bayat district, for exam-



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 16

ple, barely two-thirds stay at school past 15. As for university, only 6%

LOCATION

of Indonesia’s students get that far - one of the poorest rates in Asia. Overall, central-government spending on education is among the lowest in the region, at 1% of GDP. Most parents in the area around Bayat are labourers or farmers. 1

Average monthly household income is about Rp550,000. Compare that with monthly fees at local schools: Rp35,000 at a junior high school,

2

rising to about Rp90,000 at a senior high or vocational school. The Trust agreed to fund full, three-year scholarships for 83 teenagers, as well as salaries for two programme co-ordinators. We plan

3

1. Jakarta 2. Yogyakarta

3. Bayat

to increase the number to 170 by the end of 2009. Each scholarship comes with a Memorandum of Understanding, outlining the commitments and responsibilities of everyone involved: the students, their parents and the Foundation. On 26 June 2008, we held a simple but emotional memorandum-signing ceremony. It was unforgettable: the kids had smiles a mile wide; the parents were delighted, many still unable to

FAST FACTS

believe their good fortune; I was grinning for days afterwards. The scholarships enable the kids to attend the SMA 1 Cawas senior high school or either of two vocational schools, SMK 1 and SMK 2 Klaten. These are well regarded, and not just within the district. SMA 1 Cawas, for example, is ranked one of the top 20 schools nationwide, and boasts a 100% pass rate in the notoriously difficult national exams. As a bonus, at the end of this school year, we’ll treat the 10 scholarship students with the best results to their first flight, bringing them to Jakarta for a few days to visit our office and have a look around the city. The first scholarship recipients are due to graduate in 2010, but

INDONESIA Development Index: 0.726 (No.109) Life expectancy: 70.1 years (No.101) Adult literacy rate: 91.0% (No.62) GDP per capita: US$3,455 (No.121)

already the programme is having an enormous effect on the futures of local families. From being the children of poor, illiterate parents with limited opportunities, our students are learning to master rewarding and sought-after skills and are now setting their sights way beyond what most of them ever dreamed.

The UN Human Development Index combines measures of life expectancy, literacy, educational attainment, and per-capita GDP worldwide. Rankings in brackets are out of 179 countries. All figures are for 2006

I’ve been working in Asia for 15 years now, and the region has been good to me. This has been a chance to give something back. There’s more to life than watching the markets go up and down.



17 Touching Lives

‘I want to reach my dream’ All of us were very happy. With a feeling of joy, we shook hands with the counsellor. How lucky I am! This scholarship is very valuable, because it is for high school. I am now at SMK 1 Ngawen. All the fees and costs till I graduate will be paid by the Titian Foundation. At SMK 1 Ngawen, the rules are very strict. They require us to be disciplined and responsible. The facilities are adequate, but the classrooms are small, and we have to take a shift each day. But they’re now building additional classrooms. The school is in a village near the mountains, but the quality is as good as the school in town. The teachers are young and new. I am doing very well and have been put in a class for smart Wiyatmoko

students. I will work hard and stay in this class. It is not easy,

Scholarship recipient

because there are many competitors. I want to reach my dream.

1

2

1. Classes were held in tents for six months 2. The school’s first-ever computers 3. That was then: After the quake 4. And this is now: The rebuilt classrooms

3

4



CLSA CL C LS SA AC Chairman’s h irrm ha Trust 18

1

Eka Upriyeni Scholarship recipient

‘It motivates me’ I don’t want to waste this 1. Parents sign the scholarship terms of agreement

opportunity. If not for the 2

2. The Trust has also funded the purchase of library books

scholarship I would not make it this far. I don’t have to think about the fees, and my parents’ burden becomes less because of this programme. And it motivates me to study more seriously.

‘I will use this scholarship to the best I can’ Yono xxxxxxxxxx

When I was in Grade 9, my friends and I were

Scholarship recipient

told we were the recipients of Titian Foundation scholarships. I was very happy and grateful to

Allah. After school, I went straight home and told my parents. They were very happy, too. I enrolled in SMK 1 Ngawen. All my costs - uniform, school fees and books - are paid. The only thing I have to do is be serious in my study. I will use this scholarship to the best I can. Thank you, Titian. I can go to the school I want without making my parents upset and burdening them.



19 Touching Lives

PHOTO: TEMPLE GARDEN FOUNDATION

TEMPLE GARDEN FOUNDATION



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 20

CAMBODIA Charity: Temple Garden Foundation Project: Help build and fund the running of a publichealth clinic (due to open in late 2009), including outreach services, for the Pongro Leu Commune, in the Chi Kraeng district of Cambodia’s northwest. Funding: US$115,000

What is it? The Temple Garden Foundation, whose directors are well known to CLSA’s Singapore Head of Sales Ed Jenne, was set up in 2008 to help disadvantaged rural communities in Asia, and particularly Cambodia, by focusing on basic infrastructure, sanitation, education support and health services. The Foundation seeks to support local initiatives, consulting widely and carefully with village chiefs, monks and elders before offering solutions, and then enlisting local labour in any projects.

How did we help? Ed approached the Chairman’s Trust on behalf of the Foundation to help build and fund a much-needed health clinic and outreach programme for the Pongro Leu Commune. Healthcare in Cambodia, generally, is dire especially in isolated rural areas such as the Chi Kraeng district, where the people have practically no access to decent medical services. The project particularly appealed because of its aims of cutting infant and maternal mortality, eradicating preventable diseases through vaccinations and education, improving earnings by reducing sick time, and teaching women about health and sanitation. The clinic is due to open in late 2009.



21 Touching Lives

Climbing the bamboo ladder Ed Jenne

More than two million tourists fly into Siem Reap every year, most of

CLSA Head of Sales, Singapore

them headed for nearby Angkor Wat, the amazing temple complex that dates from the early 12th Century. Few realise that not far from their luxury hotels, restaurants and shops, many of the local people have practically no access to medical facilities. A hospital may be only, say, 60km away, but because of poor roads and lack of transport, it may as well be on the moon. Cambodia’s recent history is horrific. Under Pol Pot’s totalitarian tyranny, which ended only in 1979, as many as one in every four

One in every

people were killed or died. As well, there were massive forced reloca-

eight children

tions: more than half the villagers in the Chi Kraeng district where the

dies before their

ancestral connection with the land.

fifth birthday, and

Temple Garden Foundation focuses its efforts, for example, have no Clearly, much has changed and the country has begun opening up in recent years. However, for rural communities, life is still tough,

general health is

and healthcare is a major issue. The country’s birth rate may be the

ranked among

second-highest in Southeast Asia, but one in every eight children dies

the worst in Asia

among the worst in Asia. Life expectancy isn’t high. The most vulnera-

before their fifth birthday, and the general health of the people is ranked ble are pregnant women, newborns and infants, with diarrhoea and pneumonia being the main causes of death among the young. Dengue fever is a big concern at the moment, having killed a number of people throughout the district. And yet, if they receive medical care early enough, the disease is usually treatable. Launched in 2008, the Foundation grew out of its contacts with an agribusiness venture that focused on supplying local fresh

Improving infrastructure is vital. This bridge could do with the Temple Garden treatment

produce to the Siem Reap tour-



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 22

ist industry. The Foundation works with rural communities to provide

LOCATION

basic infrastructure, sanitation, education support and health services. Having taken an early interest in the Foundation, I got to know its driving forces, Charlotte Marson and Will Haynes-Morrow.

1

The initial focus was six villages, comprising some 4,500 people in 3

the Chi Kraeng area near Siem Reap. Already, that’s grown to 19 vil2

lages and about 14,000 people. One of the first projects was a road and bridge to link the villages. Now finished, this basic infrastructure has vastly improved access to the local high school, markets and jobs. With health such a key issue, one of the next projects was the construction of a medical centre, and First State’s Deputy CIO Alistair

1. Angkor Wat 2. Siem Reap

3. Chi Kraeng

Thompson and I decided to see what we could do. Hence, in the summer of 2008, I approached the Chairman’s Trust and Alistair went to First State’s Maitri Trust. The two generously agreed to split the costs of building and helping to run the centre. The villagers have donated the land and labour, and the govern-

FAST FACTS

ment will pay the salary of a medical assistant with enough knowledge to handle basic medical issues, conduct health classes and, in emer-

CAMBODIA

gencies, stabilise a patient while they’re taken to hospital.

Development Index: 0.575 (No.81)

On an exploratory trip in June last year, I asked the village head of Taupau 2, which was one of the early candidates for the centre, what difference the road and bridge had made. On the so-called bamboo ladder (a tried-and-tested method for assessing quality of life), he said it had lifted the village from the bottom rung out of 10 to about 2.5. The health centre would take them to the middle, he reckoned. To get to eight out of 10 would require full employment and clean water, as well.

Life expectancy: 58.6 years (No.142) Adult literacy rate: 75.6% (No.101) GDP per capita: US$1,619 (No.142)

Hopefully, they’ll reach that goal. The Foundation pays villagers who work on the project a small stipend (less than the day-labour rate), which helps put money back into the community and also rewards them for their time and effort. Construction has gone ahead quickly, and we expect the centre to be

The UN Human Development Index combines measures of life expectancy, literacy, educational attainment, and per-capita GDP worldwide. Rankings in brackets are out of 179 countries. All figures are for 2006

open for business by the time the Water Festival celebrations start on 1 November 2009.



23 Touching Lives

‘It will help against diseases’ For 13 years, Plong Heat, a 44-year-old mother of two small children, has suffered from a condition known locally as ‘blood fall’ that often leaves her so tired and sick she can barely move, relying on kind neighbours to bring her a little rice and salt. Sadly, her husband drinks much of the time, and Plong Heat is the sole breadwinner for the family, who live in Chek village in the Pogro Leu Commune. When she’s able, Plong Heat grows crops on a

2

small patch of land: rice, bananas and sugar cane. They provide her only income - just enough for food for the family, but with nothing left for transport to a health clinic or for treatment if she could get there. The best she can afford is traditional remedies. It’s a vicious cycle: being ill means she can’t make enough money to pay for proper treatment. Plong Heat says she’s looking forward to the opening of the health clinic. ‘It will help protect against diseases, and people will be able to save money as well.’



CLSA C CL SA Chairman’s Trust 24

Composite photo

1

‘We won’t have to worry’ About a year ago, then six-year-old Thea Nim from Kamroung Village in the Pongro Leu Commune, fell ill. Initially, her mother, Phat Him, tried traditional remedies. When they had no effect, she took her

1. Taupau 2’s village head surveys the bridge built by the Foundation that has made such a difference

to a clinic at a neighbouring commune. But Thea

2. One of the Foundation’s driving forces, Will HaynesMorrow, on the site of what will be the new clinic

Nim still didn’t get better. ‘We realised we’d have to pay the cost of getting her to Siem Reap,’ says her

3. With the help of villagers, construction of the muchneeded health centre has moved ahead quickly

mother. And that would be no small amount. Thea Nim’s condition was eventually diagnosed 3

at the provincial hospital as a lung disease, which would be costly to treat. The family turned to the charity-run Kantha Bopha Hospital in Siem Reap, which agreed to treat her for free. However, this would take almost three weeks, and one or other of the family would have to stay with her. That would mean further expenses in terms of food, transport to and from Siem Reap and lost wages. Thea Nim is now cured, but it took all the family’s

6

savings, as well as loans from other villagers, which her parents spent two months working hard to repay. Not surprisingly, Phat Him says she’s keen to see a health centre open in the commune: ‘We won’t have to worry as much any more about serious health problems.’ She and her husband were happy to help build the clinic.



25 Touching Lives

PHOTO: CLSA ASIA-PACIFIC MARKETS

AYALA FOUNDATION



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 26

THE PHILIPPINES Charity: Ayala Foundation Project: Provide internet access for eight public high schools, with a total of about 3,500 pupils, through the nationwide Gearing Up Internet Literacy and Access for Students (Gilas) project Funding: US$21,700

What is it? The Ayala Foundation is a Philippines-focused cultural and charitable organisation, established by Ayala Corporation, that seeks to encourage ‘the cultivation of Filipino ingenuity and talent’. It is a major supporter of the Gilas project, which aims to provide internet access to all the country’s public high schools, as well as basic equipment and training. So far, more than 2,000 of 6,375 schools have been connected. The programme organisers regard computer literacy as the most costeffective investment in the Filipino education system.

How did we help? The Ayala Foundation approached the Chairman’s Trust through CLSA’s Philippines Country Head, Mitzi de Dios, to support its work with Gilas by taking responsibility for eight high schools and some 3,500 students. The schools are on Luzon, the country’s largest island: in Aurora province on the east coast, Bataan on the west, and Baguio City in the north. All eight are now connected and have funding for one year’s internet access. One of the key attractions of the award-winning Gilas project is that it gives students access to some of the same education resources as their counterparts in more-developed countries.



27 Touching Lives

Levelling the playing field Mitzi de Dios

Many of us in CLSA’s Philippines office come from areas of the country

CLSA Philippines Country Head

where people are disadvantaged by lack of access to quality education and even basic information. That’s one reason we were all so enthusiastic about the Gearing up Internet Literacy and Access for Students (Gilas) project, which aims to provide internet access and basic skills for every public high-school pupil, from downtown Manila to some of the most remote rural areas, by 2010. It’s a practical and cost-effective way of giving Filipino kids an opportunity to get ahead in the world, because it helps to level the playing field by giving them access to the sort of resources and information

It’s a practical

that are so freely available to kids in more-developed parts of the world

and cost-effective

in a better position to compete for good jobs, whether they stay in the

way of giving

country or go abroad. The Gilas programme also benefits teachers,

Filipino kids an

they can improve their lessons and make them more interesting.

opportunity to get ahead in the world

like Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York and London. As a result, they’ll be

because it enables them to get hold of better education resources so I found out about Gilas through an old friend, Joe Hidgon, who first came to the Philippines as a US Peace Corps volunteer in the 1960s and has been returning time and again ever since: as a portfolio manager and analyst for much of the time, and then more recently, in his retirement, to work with various charities. I often joke with Joe that he’s more Filipino than I am. Joe was always impressed with the work of the Ayala Foundation, which was set up by Ayala Corporation, one of the Philippines’ biggest conglomerates. The Foundation is a major supporter of Gilas, which is now one of two key projects that Joe focuses on, along with a microfinance programme in the rural

Mitzi with students from Bagac National High School in Bataan

Negros Occidental province.



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 28

Joe was so enthusiastic about Gilas that I couldn’t help but want to

LOCATION

get involved, and last year we adopted it as one of our office charities.

1

It wasn’t long before we decided to approach the Chairman’s Trust to

2

get some serious muscle behind our efforts. The Trust agreed to fund the programme for eight high schools selected by the Ayala Foundation. All are on Luzon, the country’s largest island: in Aurora Province

3

on the east coast, Bataan on the west, and Baguio City in the north. Per-capita income in these areas is lower than in Metro Manila and the island’s southern provinces. In March 2009, a few of my colleagues and I visited the three high schools that we helped to get wired up in Bataan, which is about 100km

1. Baguio City 2. Aurora

3. Bataan

north of Manila. The focus is on third-year students, most of whom had never been exposed to the internet until recently. But you wouldn’t know it to see the way they navigate the net now. They’re also at home with Word documents, PowerPoint and even video linkups. It was incredibly rewarding and quite exciting to see the eagerness

FAST FACTS

of these kids to learn and get through their school work by using the computer facilities. One of the keys to the success of Gilas is the involvement and support of major companies and local-government units, which means that getting the infrastructure installed and actually running the individual projects has been much easier. And, of course, the role of the Ayala Foundation has been crucial. It acts as project leader, convenes the steering committee, raises funds and reports back to donors. It also assesses each school’s needs, provides and sets up the necessary resources, and trains the teachers.

PHILIPPINES Development Index: 0.745 (No.102) Life expectancy: 71.3 years (No.90) Adult literacy rate: 93.3% (No.49) GDP per capita: US$3,153 (No.122)

Work on our first three schools began in late 2008, and by the end of February 2009 all eight had been connected. Once their first year of free internet access is completed, it will be up to the schools to raise the necessary money to keep the project going, either through fundraising or from their local governments. So far, Gilas has provided

The UN Human Development Index combines measures of life expectancy, literacy, educational attainment, and per-capita GDP worldwide. Rankings in brackets are out of 179 countries. All figures are for 2006

almost one-third of the country’s public high schools with access to the internet - and given thousands and thousands of students a fantastic opportunity to better help themselves.



29 Touching Lives

‘Proud to be partners’ Our profound gratitude for your selfless effort of contributing the essentials of information technology. As well as open communication, irrespective of distance, our morale as educators has increased and we have become more productive. More than anything else, we are proud that you have become our partner in learning. Thank you for making us a recipient of your noblest gift for the benefit of our young generation. Norlita Mendez, Principal Bagac National High School

‘Road to achievement’ Please accept our heartfelt gratitude for your kind donation. Rest assured that your assistance will always be remembered with gratitude, and with the hope that we may be able to maintain our position as the nation’s No.1 in the National Achievement Test. We believe that your continuous support shall be our roadmap towards greater achievements. With our best wishes and regards. Norma C Vasquez, Principal II Balanga Integrated School



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 30

‘Bless your endeavours’ We are very grateful for what you have done in connecting the school to the World Wide Web and networking its computers. To our donor, the kind-hearted philanthropists, thank you very much and may the good Lord bless your endeavours and may your businesses succeed in these trying times. Adonairam Basingan, ICT Coordinator Baguio City National High School Sto Tomas Annex

‘Invaluable support’ Our school is now connected to the internet! Without your invaluable support and assistance the project would not have been realised. For this, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation. We may not be able to repay your kindness, but the legacy will always be cherished and passed from generation to generation in our community. Erwin Margallo, Principal Rodrigo D Palmero Memorial National High School



PHOTO: CLSA ASIA-PACIFIC MARKETS

31 Touching Lives

RIGHT TO READ



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 32

BURMA Charity: Right to Read Project: Fund ongoing education programme for poor children and associated orphanage; emergency relief in wake of Cyclone Nargis Funding: US$10,000

What is it? Right to Read is a programme endorsed by charity Friends Unlimited and founded by Priscilla Wong in 2005 to help provide basic education for children and orphans living in extreme poverty in Burma. Each year, a small group of volunteers undertakes a personally funded week-long trip, bringing with them enough money to finance the school for the year ahead, as well as basic medical supplies, toys and clothing. Any additional funds go towards supporting projects such as building water wells and toilets.

How did we help? CLSA Director of Strategic Initiatives Grace Hung approached the Chairman’s Trust on behalf of Right to Read in May 2008, seeking urgent funding to help temporarily relocate children left homeless by Cyclone Nargis and to build much-needed water wells. As well, she asked for initial basic funding for the charity’s ongoing programme to help educate 300 disadvantaged and orphaned children. Grace took the Trust’s contribution with her - along with donated clothes, emergency supplies and other money raised through friends and colleagues - when she went to Burma as part of a volunteer team later that month.



33 Touching Lives

Hope amid the heartache Grace Hung

A friend had told me about the commendable work Priscilla Wong was

CLSA Director Strategic Initiatives

doing with Right to Read, a project she set up to fund basic education for impoverished children and orphans in Burma. At the time, I wasn’t really interested in getting personally involved. Then, about two weeks later, on 2 May 2008, came Cyclone Nargis, the country’s worst natural disaster. Howling at speeds of up to 215km/h, it destroyed the Irrawaddy Delta, leaving 146,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands homeless, injured or missing. While in the US at the time on a business trip, I watched the media coverage in disbelief. It was especially frustrating and sad to hear that

At the time,

Burma’s ruling junta was initially refusing international aid.

I wasn’t really

to disease and lack of relief supplies. Coincidentally, Right to Read’s

interested in

annual visit was timed for the end of May - when Priscilla and a small

getting involved.

country’s largest city, Yangon, to review the programme and take with

Then came

them money and donations to keep it going for the year ahead.

Cyclone Nargis

medical supplies and helping to relocate a small number of orphans

By the time I returned to Hong Kong, the death toll was rising due

group of volunteers usually head for North Okkalapa, a township in the

This time, there was an added objective of bringing emergency from Bogalay, an area devastated by the cyclone. Having contacted Priscilla to see how I could help, I was thrilled when she said there was room for an extra volunteer. That’s when I approached the Chairman’s Trust and began emailing colleagues and friends for dollar donations and children’s clothing. The response was overwhelming. People from all parts of the world were extremely supportive, saying they’d been looking for a trustworthy and effective way to help. Many

Grace and some of the children from the Sunrise Youth Home Development Centre

were dubious about donating to



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 34

established charities in light of reports on aid being misdirected or tied

LOCATION

up in government red tape. Priscilla set up Right to Read after visiting Burma in 2005 and working as a volunteer, teaching English at a monastery school. She was appalled that children whose families couldn’t afford the annual

1 2

school fees were left running around slums. Since the programme’s inception, the number of student acceptances has risen, as funding and interest from volunteers have increased: 70 in 2005; 180 in 2006; 280 in 2007; 300 in 2008; and, we hope, as many as 400 this year. The project is run by a well-respected local monk.1 Right to Read also helped build a nearby orphanage, the Sunrise Youth Home Develop-

1. Yangon 2. Irrawaddy Delta

ment Centre, which opened last year and is now home to 35 children in the programme.

‘So traumatised they forgot their names’ On 31 May 2008, our group of five volunteers flew out of Hong Kong,

FAST FACTS

overloaded with luggage stuffed full of basic medical supplies, clothing and toys. During the next five days, I witnessed repeatedly how just a

BURMA

little can make such a big difference in these children’s lives.

Development Index: 0.585 (No.135)

We spent time with children who’d been abandoned, beaten or orphaned, but still welcomed us with smiles. We interviewed more than 300 kids to assess their needs and commitment to staying in school. About half were orphans (not due to Nargis), living in poor nearby nunneries or the new orphanage. It costs US$5-15 to send a child to school for a year - no small sum when the average family, typically with six kids, earns US$1 per day. If a child is admitted to the programme, the money

Life expectancy: 61.2 years (No.136) Adult literacy rate: 89.9% (No.66) GDP per capita: US$881 (No.163)

goes to the school administrators to ensure its proper use. We also met 10 cyclone victims who’d lost their families and the lives they’d known. Most survived by climbing and clinging to tree tops during the storm. Many saw their families swept away. There were such sad stories, and there were many. In some cases, when the children

The UN Human Development Index combines measures of life expectancy, literacy, educational attainment, and per-capita GDP worldwide. Rankings in brackets are out of 179 countries. All figures are for 2006

were found they were so traumatised they’d forgotten their names. We arranged for sacks of rice and money for relief efforts to be sent to Bogalay and began identifying projects for further funding such as Z



35 Touching Lives

The determination of the locals to help their own people was inspiring

X

clean-water reconstruction and longer-term programmes that encourage grass-roots development. Our local partners have since funded water wells, farming machinery and an education centre for those affected by the cyclone. The determination of the locals to help their own people was both impressive and inspiring. With the support of the Trust, Right to Read now has enough funds for its 2009 trip, which I’ll be joining, as well as a clean-waterwell system to benefit 1,600 locals. Our goal is to reach 400 children this year, as well as explore employment and vocational-training opportunities for the students who will graduate from high school in the next few years. There are also plans to build another school, which will be able to accommodate 300 kids. Burma will take years to recover from the destruction of Cyclone

1

Nargis, which, nonetheless, raised awareness about the country and encouraged people such as me to take action. In its own way, Right to Read is helping Burmese to help themselves, particularly by helping to educate part of a generation that represents the country’s future. 1

Specific names have been avoided for sensitivity reasons.

1. A monastic student taking part in the Right to Read programme 2. Anne-Marie, the first child at Sunrise, ran away from home after being sent out to work 3. Children lining up at Right to Read’s interview day. (Crossing arms is a sign of respect; thanaka paste, made from ground bark, is used as a sunscreen and cosmetic cream.)

3

2



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 36

1

2

3

1. Right to Read’s Priscilla Wong at an awards ceremony 2. Children from Sunrise ham it up for the camera 3. Nuns, mostly orphans, take part in Right to Read 4. Siblings Louis, Sally and Henry, whose mother is in jail for killing their father

‘The laughs I heard were their first’

4

‘I want to tell you that what you have done . . . was like an oasis in the desert for the grief-stricken children. They are experiencing a hell that even adults cannot understand. I could feel their heart. But I can’t find words to express their grief. Their families were all gone with the wave, leaving them with nothing except tears . . . What we did for them was a real relief. The wholehearted laughs I heard in the programme were, I am sure, the first from them after Nargis. I really thank and appreciate you for that. I am sure that was something - a lot more than something.’ From a letter sent by one of the programme organisers in Burma



37 Touching Lives

PHOTO: SWAPAN NAYAK

PARIVAAR ASHRAM



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 38

INDIA Charity: Parivaar Ashram Project: Help fund the construction of a three-storey, 10,800sf residential block for girls at the Parivaar Ashram for destitute and disadvantaged children, at Bakhrahat, about 30km outside Kolkata. Funding: US$115,000

What is it? Inspired by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, management graduate Vinayak Lohani founded Parivaar Ashram in 2003, to provide a home for three destitute children on Kolkata’s outskirts. ‘Parivaar’ means ‘family’, and its mission is to provide disadvantaged kids with a loving environment and decent education. The ashram is now home to almost 400 children, with hopes of boosting this to 1,000 within a few years. The residential block eventually will be able to accommodate 500 girls and their seva-vratis (helpers).

How did we help? Having bought 1.4 hectares of land in late 2007, Parivaar set about raising funds to build the first stage of a residential institute for girls. Among those Vinayak approached was Anirudha Dutta, Deputy Head of Research in our Mumbai office. Anirudha, in turn, called on colleagues and the Chairman’s Trust, which agreed to an initial sum of US$115,000, with the remaining US$38,000 to be made up by staff and friends. The first stage, to be completed by the end of 2009, will house 250 girls and 20 female seva-vratis. As well as dormitories, the complex will have dining and reading halls, a library, tutorial rooms and a medical block.



39 Touching Lives

Seeing is believing Anirudha Dutta

I first heard of Vinayak Lohani and his inspirational work through my

CLSA Deputy Head of Research

colleague Anshu Govil, who is a fellow alumnus of Vinayak’s from the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata. Vinayak was inspired by the life and works of Swami Vivekananda, the ‘philosopher saint’ of India who believed that helping the poor is the best way to serve god and whose teachings influenced the likes of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. In 2003, Vinayak started Parivaar by providing a home for three destitute children in a small rented building on the outskirts of Kolkata.

‘Parivaar’ means

In the early days, he was able to fund the charity by coaching students

‘family’, which

wanting to pass the entrance exams for management courses. But the three kids soon became 15 and Vinayak had to seek outside help.

means Vinayak

‘Parivaar’ means ‘family’, which means that Vinayak and his team

and his team

of seva-vratis (helpers or co-workers) look after the children who come

provide the sort

they’ve finished their higher education, have got jobs and are settled in

of support that

life - the sort of support that a parent would ordinarily provide.

a parent would

meaning to get in touch with him, but it was one of those things that

under their care (at any age from as young as four to 10) full time until

Ever since I’d heard about Vinayak’s work back in 2005, I’d been never got to the top of my “to do” list. Then, at the end of 2007, Vinayak wrote to me after getting my email address from a mutual friend, asking for a contribution towards the cost of building a hostel for girls. I felt bad about not having done what I’d intended and immediately made a small personal donation, as well as approaching colleagues in our Mumbai office. By this stage, Swagatam Biswas, from our sales desk, was also collecting funds for Parivaar, and received a significant

Vinayak with some of Parivaar’s first children

contribution from our London office.



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 40

Donald Skinner, CLSA’s Country Head for India at the time, not

LOCATION

only personally supported the project but suggested we approach the Chairman’s Trust. That really set the ball rolling. Now, thanks to the Trust, as well as staff and their families and friends from around the

1

world, we’ve raised almost the entire amount needed for the first stage of the project, which is due to be completed by the end of 2009. This first stage, a three-storey, 10,800sf residential complex for

2 3

girls, will comprise dormitories, dining and reading halls, tutorial rooms, a library and medical facilities, and will initially house 20 female sevavratis and 250 girls, eventually rising to as many as 500. I first went to the Parivaar Ashram in Bakhrahat, on the outskirts of

1. New Delhi 2. Kolkata

3. Hyderabad

Kolkata, in May 2008 to visit Vinayak, his colleagues and the kids. It was a humbling experience to meet a man so dedicated to helping those in need. He and his colleagues run the ashram with passion and integrity. One of the many things that particularly impressed me is the way that they’ve assimilated Parivaar into the local village community,

FAST FACTS

establishing a symbiotic relationship and ensuring that no one feels alienated. Vinayak has generated an enormous amount of goodwill

INDIA

among the locals.

Development Index: 0.609 (No.132)

The kids’ dormitories are simple (in fact, almost Spartan), but they’re clean and clearly well and lovingly cared for. Vinayak and the seva-vratis share the same accommodation. The children’s health is a major focus (there’s a clinic in the complex) and I was impressed with the process for monitoring each child’s wellbeing and development. The ashram is home to almost 400 so far: former street children, abandoned kids, orphans, girls vulnerable to exploitation and victimi-

Life expectancy: 64.1 years (No.127) Adult literacy rate: 65.2% (No.118) GDP per capita: US$2,489 (No.126)

sation, and children from impoverished tribal areas. Already, the charity receives about 1,500 applications a year. I dream of the day when Vinayak has 50,000 children under the care of the Parivaar family, across the country. For now, however, one of his biggest challenges is attracting seva-vratis.

The UN Human Development Index combines measures of life expectancy, literacy, educational attainment, and per-capita GDP worldwide. Rankings in brackets are out of 179 countries. All figures are for 2006

The next two years will be a big challenge as Parivaar builds up to care for 1,000 kids, with the same high quality of love and care that Vinayak showed to his first three ‘children’ in 2003.



PHOTOS: SWAPAN NAYAK & PARIVAAR ASHRAM

41 Touching Lives

1

2

1. Lining up for the midday meal 5

2. Torch run closing the sports carnival 3. Heading off to classes 4

4. At the four-day sports carnival 5. Assembly breaks up 6. Bending it like Beckham 7. Reading between the lines 8. Showing off his skills 9-10. Working on the new buildings

7

8



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 42

3

‘Transforming lives’ Starting from scratch with just three children in 2003 and thereafter developed brick by brick, Parivaar Ashram is being continuously moulded into a unique institution transforming the lives of each of its residents (adults as well as children). In order to admit a much larger number of girls, we decided to develop a second campus specifically for them. 6

For this, we procured 150,000sf of land at a cost of Rs6.5 million (US$139,000) in December 2007, located about one kilometre from our current premises. The first phase of construction commenced in June 2008 and is due to be completed in December 2009. It will include residential blocks, an education complex, dining halls, a medical block,

9

a playing field and a cultural hall. Total expenditure will be about Rs15 million. The CLSA Chairman’s Trust has sponsored construction of the main 10,800sf residential block. This has been an extremely valuable contribution to Parivaar’s mission of changing the destinies of girls who

10

otherwise would have remained victims of a life of penury, exploitation, vulnerability and dishonour. Parivaar expresses its sincere gratitude for this magnanimous support. Vinayak Lohani



43 Touching Lives

PHOTO: QUIDAN KAISAHAN

QUIDAN KAISAHAN



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 44

THE PHILIPPINES Charity: Quidan Kaisahan Project: Provide alternative education for about 400 children at risk or working in the hazardous sugar-cane fields of Negros Occidental province, in an effort to get them back to school and improve their job prospects. Funding: US$33,000

What is it? Quidan Kaisahan is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation established to empower poor local communities in the Philippines, particularly marginalised groups, by helping them implement programmes such as microfinancing, alternative education and business development. One of the key concerns among communities in Negros Occidental, the fourth most-populous province, is the steadily increasing rate of child labour in the cane fields, driven in large part by poverty and land inequality.

How did we help? Quidan Kaisahan approached the Chairman’s Trust through CLSA’s Philippines Country Head Mitzi de Dios to help fund a functional-literacy, alternativeeducation programme targetting about 400 children, most of whom have dropped out of school to work in the cane fields. Of particular concern is that the chemicals used on the plantations can be poisonous and especially dangerous for growing children. The aim of the community-based alternative-learning system is to get the kids back into school where possible and improve their job opportunities: to free them from their poverty trap and offer them hope for a better future.



45 Touching Lives

Helping the nameless ones Mitzi de Dios

I heard about Quidan Kaisahan (which means ‘solidarity of the name-

CLSA Philippines Country Head

less ones’) in late 2007 through a CLSA client and friend, Sunny Sevilla, who’d been working with the charity for a decade. What Sunny particularly liked about Quidan Kaisahan - and what attracted my interest - was its strong focus on empowering poor communities so they can solve their own problems and have a say in their futures. They don’t come much poorer or more in need of empowerment than the landless labourers and small-farmers of Negros Occidental, the “sugar bowl” of the Philippines. With a semi-feudal socio-economic

More than

system, the gap between the haves and have-nots is stark. Almost 75%

one-third of all

of private holdings, for example, is in the hands of less than 4% of

children join the

The minimum daily wage is P180-222, but the reality can be as low as

workforce at

P50 (which won’t even buy 1.5kg of rice). As recently as the mid-1980s,

some stage each

omy collapsed in the wake of a global sugar glut. Civil discontent is

year and many

common, and the disaffected have been known to resort to violence.

are full time

to help communities identify their most pressing economic, political

landowners - fewer than 500 families among a population of 2.1 million.

thousands of children suffered severe malnutrition when the local econ-

Quidan Kaisahan, a non-profit non-government organisation, tries and cultural issues and tackle them in sustainable ways such as getting involved in local government, microfinance, alternative education and business development. The deep-rooted and pervasive poverty throughout the province is a key factor in the high level of child labour in the rice and cane fields: more than one-third of all children join the workforce at some stage each year and many are full time. This is a particularly alarming problem because of the effect it has on

Mitzi talking to community leaders and parents

their health and on their hopes.



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 46

Chemicals used in the cane fields can be poisonous, especially to

LOCATION

growing kids. As well, the children work with sharp tools, often suffer sleep deprivation and carry heavy loads. On top of this, they’re forced to drop out of school, losing any hope of improving their lives and breaking the poverty cycle. Although many are proud of the contribution they

1

make to their families, they also often feel frustrated and helpless. 2

In response, Quidan Kaisahan began devising a promising alternative education programme in 2005, with ad hoc funding from bodies such as the International Labor Organization and local groups. The basic course involves about eight hours a week, usually weekends and evenings, with classes held in village halls, local schools and the like.

1. Negros Occidental 2. Hinigaran

To date, more than 2,200 children from 35 villages have taken part, earning themselves a basic education certificate. However, this is less than one-third of the number of kids the charity estimates should be at school in the four areas it covers. Its pilot project, which includes raising awareness among parents and local officials, is based on a

FAST FACTS

government-run home- and community-schooling programme. Quidan Kaisahan also offers families microfinance and other support to boost

PHILIPPINES

their incomes enough so the children can return to school full time.

Development Index: 0.745 (No.102)

I approached the Chairman’s Trust on behalf of Quidan Kaisahan in late 2008 to help put about 400 children from the town of Hinigaran through the programme, as well as to buy books and other materials. Of these children, about 10 have now gone back to school full time. One thing that struck me when visiting the communities is how malnourished and unhealthy some of the kids are - partly because they’re so poor, but also I think from having had to work and take on heavy

Life expectancy: 71.3 years (No.90) Adult literacy rate: 93.3% (No.49) GDP per capita: US$3,153 (No.122)

obligations from an early age. Community leaders told us about the plight of abused children; how some kids were completely unaware of the value of education; how the eldest in some families were forced to become the breadwinner at very young ages . . . and how incredibly thankful they were for the opportunity the programme offers them.

The UN Human Development Index combines measures of life expectancy, literacy, educational attainment, and per-capita GDP worldwide. Rankings in brackets are out of 179 countries. All figures are for 2006

These kids have been at a huge disadvantage from birth. It’s so heartening to be involved in a project that gives them a break and puts something good their way for a change.



47 Touching Lives

Rekindling a long-lost dream Julie Ann Belano’s dreams turned to dust the day she graduated from elementary school in Barangay Tuguis, one of the 24 communities that make up Hinigaran. Her parents simply couldn’t afford to send her to high school h h d 15km away. So, instead of studying to become a secetary, as she had long hoped, Julie Ann joined her parents in the fields each day, cutting weeds and sugar cane. That was some five years ago. Now, thanks to Quidan Kaisahan’s alternative learning scheme, 15-year-old Julie Ann has been able to turn her back on the fields and, instead, focus once again on her studies. And with a P2,000 microloan, Julie Ann’s mother has opened a sari-sari, or small neighbourhood grocery store, the profits from which help make up for any lost earnings.



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 48 CLS

‘God has granted my prayers’ For Ricky Saranate, Quidan Kaisahan’s alternative learning scheme (ALS) was literally the answer to his prayers. ‘I was on the verge of giving up my dream of od continuing my studies,’ the 17-year-old says. ‘But God is so good He granted my prayers.’ Ricky has had a tough life. At the age of 10, his impoverished parents left him in charge of his four younger brothers and sisters in Barangay Tuguis while they searched for work in Manila. Despite these difficulties, including having to bring his three-year-old brother with him to elementary school each day, Ricky managed to graduate. But by his second year of high school, the pressure became too much: he dropped out and started drinking. When his father returned home soon after from Manila sick and unable to work, Ricky took a job in the fields to support the family. One day, he was encouraged to try Quidan Kaisahan’s ALS. ‘At first, I thought this programme had nothing to do with me,’ Ricky says. ‘But after attending several days of classes, I learned so many things.’ Although Ricky still works in the fields, he now dreams of going to college, with the help of scholarships. Ricky’s father, Reynaldo, says the change in him is wonderful. Even when Ricky comes home tired from work, he still studies. Reynaldo has now enrolled his other four children in the ALS, and has high hopes for them. With a P2,000 microloan, the family has started raising ducks, which Reynaldo hopes one day will mean that none of the kids has to work.



49 Touching Lives

PHOTO: PDA

NEW PROJECTS



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 50

CAMBODIA AGIR POUR LES FEMMES EN SITUATION PRECAIRE Project: Support AFESIP’s programme of rescuing victims of human trafficking and sexual abuse, as well as their rehabilitation, vocational-skills training, and reintegration into their communities. Funding: US$300,000

INDONESIA KARYA SALEMBA EMPAT Project: Provide one-year scholarships for about 100 financially disadvantaged students, enabling them to undertake tertiary studies, helping with their living expenses and the cost of books and other materials. Funding: US$50,000

THAILAND POPULATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION Project: Fund the construction of a secondary school in Lamplaimat, Thailand, in association with PDA and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as part of PDA’s ongoing village-level poverty-eradication efforts. Funding: US$400,000

VIETNAM GENTLE FUND ORGANIZATION Project: Fund the operations of two learning centres for disadvantaged children, in Ho Chi Minh City and Hue, for two years, offering the kids free access to libraries, computer labs and classrooms. Funding: US$80,000



51 Touching Lives

AGIR POUR LES FEMMES EN SITUATION PRÉCAIRE Richard Pyvis

I was introduced to the extraordinary Somaly Mam through her autobi-

Executive Chairman, CLSA Capital Partners

ography, The Road of Lost Innocence, in which she tells how, having been abandoned at birth, she was sold into sexual slavery at the age of 12; endured a decade of beatings and abuse in a series of sordid brothels; escaped with the help of an overseas aid worker; and then began her courageous campaign to rescue and rehabilitate others. Not long after, I set off to meet Somaly in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, at one of three refuges run by the charity she set up in 1996, Agir pour les Femmes en Situation Précaire (AFESIP).

AFESIP’s aim is to

With me was an old friend and fellow trustee, Richard Savage, who helped arrange the introduction to Somaly and with whom I’ve worked

become financially

on projects for the Population and Community Development Associa-

sustainable and

tion (PDA), a nongovernment organisation based in Thailand.

better able to

sustainable and better able to rehabilitate the thousands of young

rehabilitate the

women it rescues, Richard and I quickly realised that PDA could help,

women it rescues

financing. A partnership between the two has now been arranged.

Speaking with Somaly about AFESIP’s aim of becoming financially

particularly given its experience in skills training and village-level microAs for the Chairman’s Trust, it will contribute US$300,000 to AFESIP’s rescue-and-rehabilitation efforts, as well as its programme of helping the young women return to their villages and giving them skills and small-business starter loans so they can support themselves. I’d encourage anyone who can to visit Somaly’s refuges to see the powerful impact of literacy and income-generating skills. But bring plenty of tissues: although there are many stories to inspire, there’s

Somaly Mam discussing AFESIP’s needs with Richard Savage (middle) and Richard

much that’s moving and sad.



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 52

KARYA SALEMBA EMPAT A good friend asked me along to a presentation by Karya Salemba Empat (KS4) back in 2003. In those days it was very small organisation

Ahmad Solihin

with limited funds, coming mostly from donations by individuals. I was

CLSA Senior Analyst

so impressed with KS4’s aim of providing university scholarships for those in need that I’ve been the secretary to the board since 2005. Last year, KS4 celebrated its 10th anniversary. Education is one of Indonesia’s biggest challenges. It’s the world’s fourth most-populous country and spending on education is low. Only 6% of students are able to go on to tertiary education - less than half the participation rates of Thailand and the Philippines. KS4’s scholarships help students with living expenses and the cost of books and other materials they need for their studies. In its first year,

Education is one

scholarships were awarded to three students to attend the University of

of Indonesia’s big

Indonesia. This has now grown to 610 students at six universities. This

challenges. Only

year, we hope to award 1,000 scholarships. We’ve been able to so successfully expand the programme as a result of attracting corporate and other major sponsors. The Chairman’s Trust donation, for example, will enable us to award scholarships to about 100 students for one year. Our goal is ‘10:10’, meaning 10,000

6% of students are able to go on to tertiary education

students in 10 years’ time. Achieving this will depend on our ability to continue raising funds. The foundation has been more professionally run since 2007 and we now have six full-time employees. However, almost all the funding goes to supporting our scholarship students, with only 10% set aside for operating costs. Working with the foundation has been enormously rewarding. All of us involved - the students, employees, volunteers and donors - share a dream of educating Indonesia.

Ahmad presents one of the KS4 scholarship recipients with a gift pack



53 Touching Lives

POPULATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION Andrew Hartley

While visiting Thailand in 2000, I learned about the work of Mechai

CLSA Country Head, Singapore

Viravaidya, widely known as the Condom King for his promotion of safe sex and family planning, mainly through the Population and Community Development Association (PDA), which he set up back in 1974. PDA has since expanded its activities to include healthcare, HIV/Aids education and prevention, water-resource and sanitation development, community-based income-generation, environmental conservation, supporting small-scale rural enterprises, gender equality, youth development and promoting democracy. One of PDA’s key focuses is trying to

PDA focuses on

eradicate poverty at village level by supporting small businesses with

trying to eradicate

sponsors of the village of Lamplaimat in north-east Thailand.

poverty at village

microfinance loans. Inspired by this approach, my wife and I became While visiting Lamplaimat in May 2008 I met the headmaster of the primary school and was blown away by the standard of teaching and

level through

the keen participation of parents. However, the school’s first 30 pupils

micro loans to

were due to graduate soon and had nowhere to go, because there sim-

small businesses

look forward to would be low-skilled jobs in Bangkok.

ply wasn’t a secondary school within the district. The best many could Thanks in large part to the Chairman’s Trust, which has committed US$400,000 to match donations by PDA and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the first stage of a new school has now been built as part of PDA’s rural-education-development programme. Lamplaimat’s parents have been heavily involved in the school’s construction, as well as its running and curriculum. In the future, we hope the Trust will also consider funding scholarships and teachers’ salaries, possibly in con-

Lamplaimat’s first Year 7 class start their studies in the new school

junction with local businesses.



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 54

GENTLE FUND ORGANIZATION It started with a plea for help via the internet back in May 2006: the parents of a young Vietnamese boy at Singapore’s National University

Meggie Pham & Tran Viet Tung

Hospital for what they hoped would be life-saving leukemia treatment

Associates, SetClear

were desperately seeking people who could at least translate for them. We soon realised they needed a lot more, from help finding accommodation to extending their visas or simply being a familiar, friendly face. We then discovered that a steady stream of Vietnamese come to Singapore for treatment and, like this family, often find themselves lost and bewildered. As a result, a group of friends - including 15 Vietnamese professionals and graduates - set up the Gentle Fund Organization in August of that year, with two key objectives. First, we provide social support and access to information for Viet-

The response has

namese (especially children) seeking treatment in Singapore for often-

been incredible:

fatal diseases. Second, we offer disadvantaged children in Vietnam

children queuing

better education opportunities. So far, the Fund has helped 90 patients in Singapore, arranged short-term scholarships for 208 disadvantaged

from morning till

children in Vietnam, and built two learning centres for underprivileged

late afternoon to

kids, in Ho Chi Minh City and Hue. The Chairman’s Trust has agreed to provide two years’ funding

use the libraries

to run the centres, which include libraries open to all the children in the surrounding areas. We also offer free courses in English and computer skills, and plan to extend this to vocational training. The response to the centres has been incredible, with children queuing from morning till late afternoon to use the libraries after they opened in September 2008 and March 2009. We continue to be inspired by the passion of these children for education and the commitment of our colleagues in the Fund.

Children from the Long Hoa orphanage try out the Ho Chi Minh City centre’s computers





Emergency relief



55 Touching Lives

PHOTO: CLAIRE BEILVERT

EMERGENCY RELIEF



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 56

CYCLONE NARGIS, BURMA MEDICAL EMERGENCY RELIEF INT’L (MERLIN) Project: Provide medical aid to survivors. At the time, Merlin was the only aid agency in Laputta, one of the worst-affected towns in the Irrawaddy District. Funding: US$50,000 MÉDECINS SANS FRONTIÈRES Project: Provide fuel, food, mosquito nets and medical aid. Médecins sans Frontières has been in Burma for more than 10 years and was able to move quickly. Funding: US$50,000 SAVE THE CHILDREN Project: Provide food, water-purification tablets, plastic sheeting, kitchen equipment and rehydration salts for 50,000 families whose homes were destroyed. Funding: US$50,000

SICHUAN EARTHQUAKE, CHINA RED CROSS SOCIETY OF CHINA Project: Provide emergency aid and support rescue and relief work. Red Cross was on the ground and wellequipped to help in the immediate aftermath. Funding: US$100,000



57 Touching Lives

OVERVIEW Simone Wheeler

Long before the Trust was even established, CLSA was responding to

CLSA Head of Communications

calls for emergency help in the region. One of our first major contibutions was in support of the rescue work and humanitarian efforts in the wake of massive flooding in China in the summer of 1998 that killed more than 3,600 people and left 14 million homeless. The Boxing Day 2004 earthquake and tsunami that devastated coastal regions of Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia was another tragedy that demanded our urgent attention. In all, the company committed some US$2 million to relief and reconstruction throughout the region immediately after the tragedy and during the following years.

CLSA and

Richard Pyvis and Richard Savage, of Western Management Consultants, spearheaded our efforts, largely through the Soroptimist Soci-

the Trust have

ety of Jakarta, and most notably in the rebuilding of Lamreh village,

been involved

a coastal settlement some 30km north--east of the provincial capital,

in numerous

ing rebuild Rumpet village in north-west Sumatra.

emergencyaid projects

Banda Aceh. We also supported the work of Sara Henderson in helpWe published a full account of our five years’ work in New Beginnings: After the Tsunami: The rebuilding of Lamreh Village, Aceh (2006). Over the years, CLSA and the Trust have been involved in numerous emergency-aid projects, including: ŖAkanksha

Foundation, India: Rebuilding damaged schools and

related infrastructure; ŖSri

Ramakrishna Math, India: Buying land to relocate more than

100 families, as well as building and outfitting 22 fishing vessels; ŖKings

Foundation, Thailand: Rebuilding damaged schools and

related infrastructure; ŖOxfam

and the Sri Lanka Center for Development Facilitation:

Repairing fishing boats and helping establish small-scale agricultural and community businesses; ŖIndonesian

Red Cross: Supporting various humanitarian projects;

ŖTitian Foundation, Indonesia: Helping rebuild a school damaged by

the 2006 Central Java earthquake. The following pages highlight some of our more recent efforts, in the wake of Cyclone Nargis and the Sichuan earthquake.



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 58

CYCLONE NARGIS, BURMA With the cyclone season having barely begun, Nargis (meaning ‘daffodil’) was the first storm to be named. It won’t soon be forgotten. The cyclone was at the height of its fury when it hit Burma’s Irrawady Delta on 2 May 2008, destroying everything in its path as it moved inland. The true death toll will never be known, given the junta’s refusal to release statistics. However, Nargis is likely to have been the worst natural disaster in Burma’s history: at least 146,000 are believed to have been killed, with hundreds of thousands left homeless, injured or still missing. Within days of the scale of the devastation becoming known, the Trust donated a total of US$150,000 to three charities that were directly working to bring relief to the thousands on thousands of Burmese affected by the cyclone. Each in its own way quickly and efficiently provided aid.

MEDICAL EMERGENCY RELIEF INT’L (MERLIN)

The true death toll will never be known, but Nargis

Not many people would be aware of UK-based Medical Emergency

was the worst

Relief International (Merlin) and the fantastic work it does in healthcare

natural disaster in

and saving lives in times of crisis. Being one of the unsung “little guys” was part of its appeal for us - as was the fact that it had been operating

Burma’s history

throughout the Irrawaddy Delta for several years and had established an extensive network (indeed, 94 of Merlin’s 549 community-health workers were killed by Nargis). Also impressive was Merlin’s rapid response: it took to the water with a fleet of 36 boats, transporting health teams to inaccessible areas, as well as distributing food and materials. It treated almost 45,000 people during the six months after Nargis, as well as installing more than 200 water-filtration units. Merlin is still hard at work in the Delta.



59 Touching Lives

MÉDECINS SANS FRONTIÈRES By contrast, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is well known around the world for providing emergency medical aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics and natural or man-made disasters. As such, it wouldn’t ordinarily be a candidate for the Chairman’s Trust but Nargis was no ordinary situation. The priority was to get our money working quickly and effectively, so that we could help as many people as possible. MSF has been working in Burma for more than a decade and was able to quickly move into the affected areas, distributing plastic sheeting, jerrycans and fuel for water pumps, food rations and mosquito nets, as well as medical assistance.

MSF wouldn’t ordinarily be a candidate for

Since Nargis hit, MSF has deployed some 750 staff and volunteers in Burma and assisted more than half a million people in all, primarily by providing food, shelter, water and healthcare.

SAVE THE CHILDREN

the Trust - but

Similarly, Save the Children is not the sort of charity we’d usually

Nargis was no

select, but it was an obvious choice in the wake of Nargis, as it has

ordinary situation

offices throughout the country. Save the Children has helped more than

been working in Burma since 1995 and has more than 1,600 staff in 52 560,000 people since the cyclone hit, working mainly in the worstaffected rural and urban townships. Our US$50,000 donation went towards providing food, water-purification tablets, plastic sheeting, kitchen equipment and rehydration salts to 50,000 families whose homes were destroyed. Save the Children is now focusing its efforts on areas such as reconstruction, nutrition, sanitation, education and, particularly, child protection, with so many having been left orphans by the cyclone.



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 60

SICHUAN EARTHQUAKE, CHINA The earthquake that tore through Sichuan Province just before 2.30pm on 12 May 2008 was so severe it was felt as far away as India, Pakistan and Russia up to 10 minutes afterwards. The death and destruction it wrought were horrendous: some 70,000 people were killed, with many thousands still unaccounted for almost a year later; an estimated 6.5 million homes were destroyed; and almost 375,000 people were injured. The 8.0 magnitude quake - centred on Wenchuan County, some 80km north-west of the provincial capital, Chengdu - was China’s deadliest since the notorious Tangshan shock in 1976. Many of Sichuan’s victims were children, crushed to death when their schools collapsed. If anything good can be said to have come of such a disaster, it was surely the heartfelt, open-handed response of individuals, groups and governments throughout China, the region and around the world.

RED CROSS SOCIETY OF CHINA

Many of the quake’s victims were children,

Many CLSA staff and clients were in Shanghai for our 13th annual China

crushed to

Forum when the quake hit. Rob Morrison and Jonathan Slone made a

death when their

quick decision to pledge Rmb2 million on behalf of the Trust to help with relief efforts and reconstruction. The Red Cross Society of China was the

schools collapsed

most obvious initial recipient, given that it was there on the ground and well-equipped to help. The Trust’s key priorities were to do as much as we could in the immediate aftermath of the quake and, later, to help the people of Sichuan rebuild their lives. Of the Rmb2 million we pledged, US$100,000 went directly to the the organisation has done fantastic work. Longer term, we’re looking for an outstanding local project that matches our goals.

PHOTO: CLIFF CHENG

Red Cross for emergency aid, and





Projects in Africa



61 Touching Lives

PHOTO: JOHN MAGUIRE

BAND AID CHARITABLE TRUST



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 62

ETHIOPIA Charity: Band Aid Charitable Trust Project: Help fund a major Unicef health programme in northern Ethiopia, including building and fitting out a hospital and training 2,000 health workers, plus basic nutrition and health education for 250,000 people. Funding: US$1,000,000

What is it? The Band Aid Charitable Trust was established in 1985 by musicians Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to help relieve hunger and poverty in Ethiopia and other African countries, including Eritrea, Niger, Sudan and Uganda. It makes grants to organisations working in these countries such as Unicef. Projects funded in recent years include the provision of clean water, sanitation and healthcare facilities, basic optical care, health education, new and rebuilt schools, and food security.

How did we help? At the CLSA Investors’ Forum in 2007, Bob Geldof challenged us to join his poverty-eradication campaign. The Chairman’s Trust responded with a substantial donation that meets about one-third of the total funding required for a major healthcare programme being implemented by Unicef in northern Ethiopia. The key focus is the construction and fitout of a primary-care hospital in Korem, in the Tigray region, as well as training of some 2,000 health workers. The programme, which also includes campaigns to boost health and nutrition, will benefit about 250,000 people directly and as many as a million others.



63 Touching Lives

An answer to absurdity Philip Pritchard

Asia has always been our focus at CLSA and the Chairman’s Trust.

Non-Executive Director, CLSA London

So, how and why did we get involved in Africa? The answer is a very passionate and persuasive Bob Geldof, the former rocker now better known for his remarkable humanitarian work. As China rapidly expanded its commercial activities throughout Africa earlier this decade, the continent increasingly became a focus for many of our analysts and investors. Of course, CLSA is known for taking a different approach, so as keynote speakers at our Investors’ Forum in 2007 we invited Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Geldof. Each man captivated his audience. But Geldof had us all reaching

Geldof had us

for our wallets, as he explained how the 1984 Ethiopian famine had

all reaching for

continent that’s only eight miles from Europe? He concluded that ‘to die

our wallets, as he

in a world of surplus is both intellectually absurd and morally repulsive’

explained how the

1985, raising millions of dollars for Africa’s starving. It was just the start

Ethiopian famine

of his ongoing campaign to eradicate poverty in Africa.

changed his life

involved in a healthcare project in northern Ethiopia being run by Unicef

changed his life. How could 30 million people be allowed to starve on a

and went on to organise Band Aid, followed by the Live Aid Concert in

At Geldof’s invitation, the Chairman’s Trust agreed to become and funded through the Band Aid Charitable Trust, which manages the donations and royalties that continue to come in. Ethiopia’s Tigray region was plagued by droughts for two decades from the start of 1960. In 197374, they were so severe that tens of thousands died. In 1984-85 came the famine that killed hundreds of thousands and left millions without food, shelter or medical aid, in what ranks as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Bob Geldof makes an impassioned address at the CLSA Investors’ Forum in 2007

Disease and malnutrition are



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 64

still prevalent throughout region after decades of droughts, famines

LOCATION

and man-made disasters, which have also hindered the development of basic healthcare.

1

Children and mothers are most vulnerable. One in eight children dies before their fifth birthday and more than 50% of those under five

2

are malnourished. Although more than a third of pregnant women

3

receive antenatal care, only 6% give birth in health facilities. Maternal mortality rates are high due to lack of training and facilities for emergency care, as well as malaria, anaemia and HIV/Aids. The project in which the Chairman’s Trust is involved aims to significantly boost the general health of the population of Tigray by build-

1. Tigray region 3. Addis Abeba 2. Korem

ing a primary hospital in Korem, which was the centre of the 1984-85 famine, and expanding and improving an existing community-based preventative nutrition programme in an attempt to provide some protection against further famines. The programme’s main activities are: ŖConstruct ŖEquip

a 50-bed hospital in Korem, with a maternity area;

water, as well as essential supplies such as drugs and blood banks; ŖTrain 1,000 health professionals in emergency obstetrics, skilled-deliv-

ery assistance, newborn care and essential maternal-health services; ŖTrain

FAST FACTS

the hospital with its own 24-hour electricity supply and running

1,000 community health workers to provide basic advice;

ŖProvide

ready-to-use food known as Plumpy’nut for 3,000 malnour-

ished children in communities surrounding the hospital; and ŖConduct

a community-based preventative nutrition programme to

treat malnourished children and educate people in basic healthcare. The Korem hospital is due to open at the end of 2009 and will

ETHIOPIA Development Index: 0.389 (No.169) Life expectancy: 52.2 years (No.155) Adult literacy rate: 35.9% (No.142) GDP per capita: US$700 (No.169)

serve a population of some 250,000 people, as well as being a referral and in-service training centre for nearby districts, which will benefit a further 1,000,000 people. It will be able to provide antenatal care for about 10,000 pregnant women a year, which is half the number in the region, and delivery facilities for at least 3,000, as well as HIV testing

The UN Human Development Index combines measures of life expectancy, literacy, educational attainment, and per-capita GDP worldwide. Rankings in brackets are out of 179 countries. All figures are for 2006

and mother-to-child transmission-prevention services. The project should have a dramatic and sustained impact on maternal and infant mortality rates throughout the region.



65 Touching Lives

1

4

5

CHECK SIZE

Bob Geldof (left) receives a cheque from Philip on behalf of the Trust



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 66

2

3

1. It’s no easy matter getting to Korem, in Ethiopia’s northern district of Tigray . . . 2. . . . and once you finally reach the township, there’s not a lot there 3. People for miles around have had to rely on small outreach health clinics like this one 4-6. Three of the families who live in the area and will benefit from the central hospital

PHOTOS: UNICEF

6



67 Touching Lives

PHOTO: CLSA ASIA-PACIFIC MARKETS

THE KIPUNGANI SCHOOLS TRUST



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 68

KENYA Charity: The Kipungani Schools Trust Project: Rebuild and enlarge a decrepit primary school in Masheheni, near Malindi, on Kenya’s coast, by renovating and equipping five classrooms and building 10 new ones, plus toilets and a nursery block. Funding: US$100,000

What is it? The Kipungani Schools Trust, founded by John Seagrim and Georgina Hood in 2000, is a small UK-registered charity that rebuilds primary schools along the coast of Kenya in cooperation with the local communities, using local labour and materials. It also funds related local projects and provides high-school scholarships. During the past eight years, the Trust has completely rebuilt and substantially enlarged 10 schools, providing places for more than 5,500 children at an average cost of just US$90 per child.

How did we help? John Seagrim, CLSA’s Director Japan Equity Sales in London, approached the Chairman’s Trust in January 2008 to help finance the rebuilding of the primary school in Masheheni, on Kenya’s coast. The school was in such an alarming state of disrepair that it was a hazard to the teachers and students. Its five dilapidated classrooms have now been renovated and 10 new ones built, with work under way on ancillary projects. One of the key attractions of the charity is its ethos of giving people ‘a hand up rather than a handout’, and ensuring that all donations reach Kenya without deduction and are spent ethically and efficiently.



69 Touching Lives

‘Cowsheds’ to classrooms Philip Pritchard

It was a moment I won’t easily forget: standing in the hot African sun

Non-Executive Director, CLSA London

in front of about 1,000 excited primary-school children in the coastal scrubland of Kenya on the very day, Wednesday, 5 November 2008, that the US elected its first Kenyan-American President, Barack Obama. If ever there was to be a symbol of hope to the impoverished children in front of me, this was it. That morning I’d arrived in Kenya with John Seagrim to see what progress had been made in rebuilding the Masheheni primary school, which is the Kipungani Schools Trust’s 11th project and one that has been funded entirely by the Chairman’s Trust. John, our Director of Japan

Education is the

Equity Sales in London, founded the Kipungani Schools Trust in 2000.

only chance these

of its 11 classrooms were in such a dangerous state they had been

children have of

abandoned, and the 900-odd children who came to school regularly

lifting themselves

more than 30 years earlier. All up, there were about three dozen bro-

and their families

ken desks. Outside was a patch of dirt used for volleyball, except there

out of poverty

holes in the ground, and the staffroom had been turned into an emer-

Eighteen months earlier, the school had been virtually a ruin. Six

were squashed into what can best be described as five cowsheds, built

was no net and the ball had a puncture. The toilets were no more than gency maize store. There was no water and no well, and the nearby church, which was used as a nursery, had become so dangerous it was now uninhabitable. Now, thanks to US$125,000 funding from the Chairman’s Trust and the work of the Kipungani School Trust’s team in Kenya, Masheheni is virtually unrecognisable. The five dilapidated “cow sheds” have been totally rebuilt and turned into spacious classrooms, and 10 new classrooms have been

John (left) and Philip (centre) at the rebuilt Masheheni primary school

built, each equipped with 20 double



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 70

desks and teaching materials. Toilets have been built and work has

LOCATION

begun on a nursery block. The teaching staff has grown from 12 to 18 and, as word spreads, enrolments have grown to well over 1,000. Where once there were hot mud-wall classrooms, there are now cool rooms with shady verandas, and where there was frail hope, now there

2

1

is tangible optimism.

3

The photographs over the page capture some of the enthusiasm that the children now bring daily to the classroom. Education is the only chance they have of lifting themselves and their families out of poverty and their only hope of escaping the trap of a subsistence existence. What’s remarkable about the children of Masheheni is that they

1. Nairobi 2. Masheheni

3. Mombassa

clearly recognise the opportunity that a primary education gives them and they embrace it with open arms. On the day we visited, for example, a number of the teachers were away for the morning marking exam papers for neighbouring schools, which meant there were quite a few classrooms left unsupervised. In

FAST FACTS

the UK, a class without a teacher would pretty quickly descend into mayhem, but at Masheheni the children sat quietly, proud in their old

KENYA

but clean and well-pressed uniforms, waiting for their teachers to return,

Development Index: 0.532 (No.144)

not wanting to miss out on the opportunity to learn something new. Thanks to the Chairman’s Trust, the children of Masheheni are being given a chance. And thanks to the careful, efficient and wellorganised project management and costings of the Kipungani Schools Trust on the ground, the children are being given not a handout, but a hand up. You can read more over the page from John about the work of the

Life expectancy: 52.7 years (No.154) Adult literacy rate: 73.6% (No.105) GDP per capita: US$1,436 (No.149)

Kipungani Schools Trust and particularly its ethical, efficient and economical approach to philanthropy, with a focus on using local labour and materials. If anybody would like to see the real and practical difference that the Chairman’s Trust can make, feel free to contact John. I’d also strongly

The UN Human Development Index combines measures of life expectancy, literacy, educational attainment, and per-capita GDP worldwide. Rankings in brackets are out of 179 countries. All figures are for 2006

recommend a visit to Masheheni, where you’ll be guaranteed a warm welcome and from where you’ll return both humbled and enriched by the experience.



71 Touching Lives

A hand up, not a handout John Seagrim

The Kipungani Schools Trust wasn’t started out of a passion for Kenya,

CLSA Director Japan Equity Sales, London

or, indeed, for Africa, or out of a desire to address the woefully inadequate provision of primary-school facilities in a country that professes to provide free basic education. The Kipungani Schools Trust was started because it would have been wrong not to do so. In 1999, while my wife, Georgina Hood, and I were on holiday on Lamu Island, off the coast of Kenya, we met Mary Jo and Louis van Aardt, who were running a hotel there after losing their farm in Zimbabwe as a result of Robert Mugabe’s resettlement programme. They had a deep understanding of East Africa and were full of the practical kindness that gets things done in a country where achievement is more often than not usurped by failure. The van Aardts took us to their local village primary school, called Kipungani, where we found, sitting on earth floors, surrounded by mud walls without windows and under hot, shallow tin roofs, three weary teachers and 60 children with neither desks nor books. We were confronted with an obvious imperative. The van Aardts agreed to support the school as best they could. We returned to London and soon after set up a registered charity called the Kipungani Schools Trust. Two years and £16,500 later, the village of

That was then, this is now . . . the old and new Masheheni school

Kipungani had a new school boasting eight classrooms, with whitewashed stone walls, cement floors, steeply pitched makuti roofs and mahogany doors and shutters to keep them cool. Where there had been just 60 children, there were now more than 150, each with their own desk and books. The three teachers had become eight, with a small staffroom and a library. Into the bargain, the villagers of Kipungani had a second well. Thanks to the considerable and continued commitment of the van Aardts, the Kipungani



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 72

From hot, cramped, crumbling mud-walled “cowsheds” to cool, clean classrooms with cement floors

Schools Trust is still building schools, employing 1

local people, using local materials, funding teachers and sponsoring students. Every day, it demonstrates how much can be achieved when you give people a hand up, not a handout. If you believe Kenya’s future lies with the education of its children and would like to know more about the Trust, don’t hesitate to contact me. I guarantee that you can and will make a difference.

1. School assemblies can be colourful affairs at Masheheni 2

2. Philip and John visit the rebuilt and extended primary school 3. The parents’ and teachers’ association gets down to business 3



73 Touching Lives

PHOTO: BISHFIRE FAMILY UK

BUSHFIRE FAMILY UK



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 74

UGANDA Charity: Bushfire Family UK Project: Develop a self-sustaining farm for a small community in eastern Uganda caring for children orphaned by Aids, by providing agricultural equipment, fitting out a vocational school and finishing a dining hall. Funding: US$125,000

What is it? In 2002, Sam and Eva Kitalya set up the Bushfire community on 40 acres of fertile land in a remote area of eastern Uganda, near the small village of Bulange, to care for about 60 children, most of whose parents had died from Aids, which was wreaking havoc across the country. In the spring of 2005, a small group in the UK founded Bushfire Family UK to help maintain, expand and develop the Anglican faith-based community, which aims to become self-sufficient. The initial focus is on developing the farm and vocational school.

How did we help? Philip Whalley, CLSA Japan Equity Sales in London, heard about Bushfire Family UK and the work it was doing from two good friends in 2006, and was so impressed he became a trustee of the charity the next year. In turn, Philip approached the Chairman’s Trust, seeking funding to help the small community in eastern Uganda achieve its goal of becoming selfsufficient. The Trust’s donation has been used to buy and maintain a tractor and other equipment for use on the farm, which has now expanded to 100 acres. As well, we’re helping to equip the community’s vocational school and complete work on a huge dining hall.



75 Touching Lives

A family for those without Philip Whalley

I’ve always loved East Africa, particularly as my grandmother lived

CLSA Japan Equity Sales, London

in Kenya. All the more reason, perhaps, that it was so upsetting to read and hear about the appalling devastation that Aids has wrought across the region, especially the plight of the hundreds of thousands of orphans left in its wake. And all the more reason that I jumped at the chance to support the Bushfire community, which I could see offered an inspiring, workable and possibly replicable way to help transform young lives. As a trustee of Bushfire Family UK, I was offered the opportunity to visit the community in eastern Uganda. It was such a rewarding and

The Kitalyas’ basic philosophy

humbling experience that I’m now planning another trip - next time with my two sons. The first thing that strikes you at Bushfire is the sheer exuberance

is to provide a

of the children, who range in age from about four to 18. They’re so

loving family

endured the trauma of losing both their parents, in most cases to Aids.

upbringing for

All the kids have this in common: they have no living adult relatives. No

these orphans

Sam Kitalya, an Anglican pastor, and his wife, Eva, are a remark-

unguardedly happy it’s easy to forget that each and every one has

parents, no grandparents, no uncles, no aunts. able couple who set up Bushfire in 2002 on 40 acres of good farming land in a remote district of eastern Uganda as a small community for some 60 orphans, with the aim of becoming

self-sustaining.

Their

basic philosophy is to provide a loving family upbringing and enough of an education to allow the children to lead responsible, productive lives. Their vision is to repeat the Bushfire model elsewhere in the district. Sadly, they could do so many, many times over and still there’d be Aids Eva and Sam Kitalya, who set up the Bushfire farming community for orphans

orphans left behind.



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 76

What the Kitalyas have been able to achieve at Bushfire is amaz-

LOCATION

ing. There are now six foster homes on the site, as well as a primary school, a clinic, a huge dining hall and chapel, a new vocational-train1

ing school and a fast-growing farm. Bushfire is already at maximum capacity, with 90 children divided into six family groups and a total of 50 2

staff, many of whom are members of the Anglican Church. Sustainability has always been a key objective. The farm is being stocked with cows, chickens and pigs, and there are plans to grow fruit, vegetables and cash crops on what has now expanded to about 100 acres. The farm will not only feed the Bushfire community but also provide an income and serve as a valuable vocational-training resource.

1. Jinja

2. Kampala

The Chairman’s Trust donation of US$125,000 is a staggering sum for this fragile community. At a stroke, it’s enabling Bushfire to realise its twin objectives of sustainability and vocational education. The funds are being used mainly to buy equipment and livestock for the farm, help complete the construction of the community dining hall, and fit out the

FAST FACTS

vocational school. Much of the money has been spent buying a dump truck, tractor and equipment such as a plough, drill, harrow and planter. As fellow trustee Charlie Simpson writes over the page, the community is expecting a bumper harvest this year: ‘a significant step towards Bushfire’s sustainability’. Similarly, Sam Kitalya emphasises the aim of self-sufficiency and says the Trust’s donation ‘has enabled Bushfire to venture into real investments for a sustainable income. We’re so grateful.’ Working at Bushfire is a challenge for the foster parents, particularly with many of the first intake of 60 kids nearing adolescence. But

UGANDA Development Index: 0.493 (No.156) Life expectancy: 50.5 years (No.160) Adult literacy rate: 72.6% (No.106) GDP per capita: US$888 (No.162)

it’s immensely rewarding to follow their progress, along with the development and growth of the community. Already, we’ve achieved a positive, long-lasting outcome, which will benefit many young lives, as well as providing a model for others to follow. It’s no exaggeration to say that this project has helped to secure

The UN Human Development Index combines measures of life expectancy, literacy, educational attainment, and per-capita GDP worldwide. Rankings in brackets are out of 179 countries. All figures are for 2006

what otherwise was a most uncertain future for 90 orphans. The dream is that what we achieve here will be replicated and enable us to change the lives of many more children.



77 Touching Lives

‘A great achievement. Thank you all’ Charlie Simpson

Bushfire has continued to grow and a number of initiatives have

Bushfire Family UK Trustee

moved on significantly. Two major projects were the dining hall/ kitchen and the vocational school. The former is now complete and, as Sam said recently in an email, being able to ‘enjoy the meals with everybody under one roof is a great achievement’. As for the vocational school, the building is now finished and the school is well on the way to being equipped and staffed. Some serious pieces of equipment have been purchased, which will enable the kids emerging from primary school who aren’t going on to higher education to acquire the skills to make a living. In addition, things have been advancing on the agricultural side. The piggery project has been a great success and they’re expecting a bumper crop of about 40 piglets. Among the very generous gifts during 2008 was a substantial sum from CLSA’s Chairman’s Trust, which has enabled us to finish the dining hall and for Sam to purchase some

Bushfire brothers in arms (above) and one of the community’s youngest members

major pieces of farming equipment, including a tractor and a plough. In Sam’s latest email he says ‘specific Bushfire staff have been assigned different portions of land to plan for, monitor, and grow different crops . . . We expect a bumper harvest in 2009, God willing.’ This is a huge advance and will hopefully be a significant step towards Bushfire’s sustainability. The primary school is continuing to go well. A new head



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 78

1

teacher has been found. He and his wife will train staff during holidays, as well. It is possible that Sam may open the school to the wider community. Not an easy decision, as Sam does not want to compromise the education of the Bushfire kids, but the relationship between the wider community and the school is something everyone at Bushfire feels passionately about. And, of course, this is in keeping with Sam’s vision of Bushfire having an impact not just on the kids

1. Two of the Bushfire family

and staff but on the community at large, enabling the home to support

2. Checking a new cement mixer

some of its poorest and most desperate neighbours.

3. The new multipurpose tractor

Again, thank you all so much. As Sam said recently, whatever

4. The piggery is a big success

happens, he, Eva, the children and staff will ‘continue to guard and

5. Sowing with the new tractor

treasure the friendship - that counts more than anything else’.

6. Making bricks for the piggery

2

4

3

5

6



79 Touching Lives

PHOTO: SWAZILAND CHARITABLE TRUST

SWAZILAND CHARITABLE TRUST



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 80

SWAZILAND Charity: Swaziland Charitable Trust Project: Help build new classrooms at five community schools and a kitchen at a sixth, all located in poor rural areas of Swaziland. The funding supplements contributions by parents and local communities. Funding: US$50,000

What is it? The Swaziland Charitable Trust (SCT) has a long history of working in health, education and agriculture. It has one paid employee and a voluntary board of management in Swaziland, plus a UK-based board of trustees that manages its small endowment and provides grants. The SCT supports successful community schools, particularly those in poor rural areas. Although the government pays teachers’ salaries, it leaves capital budgets largely to local communities. The SCT helps mainly with building classrooms.

How did we help? SCT trustee Walter Riddell approached John Seagrim of CLSA’s London office in August 2008, after hearing about the support the Chairman’s Trust had given his Kipungani Schools Trust. In Swaziland, schools play an important role not only in the country’s future but also by providing daily necessities, given that an estimated 10% of the population are orphans, mainly due to Aids. The trust donated US$50,000 in January 2009. One of the attractions of the SCT is that its grants are used to buy building materials, with the communities providing labour and local resources, so construction is collaborative, efficient and economical.



81 Touching Lives

Learning what works Vicky McDonaugh

On my yearly visits to Swaziland, I never fail to be impressed by the

Swaziland Charitable Trust Chair

respect and devotion the students show to their teachers and their school. Having taught in the UK for 30 years, I have to say we could learn something from them. As chair of the Swaziland Charitable Trust (SCT), it gives me great joy to be able to support my colleagues in Swaziland, and the head teachers of the schools the Chairman’s Trust supports are all well known to us. Indeed, part of their problem is that they’re so successful. The better the reputations of their schools, the higher the enrolments, meaning they need more classrooms.

Parents make

Thanks to the Chairman’s Trust, we’ve been able to help six rural schools and their surrounding communities by building extra class-

extraordinary

rooms and, in one case, a kitchen. A key requirement of SCT grants is

sacrifices to

that local people be heavily involved in the projects. We always try to

ensure that their

avoid top-down aid. Education is neither free nor compulsory in Swaziland, yet parents

children get the

make extraordinary sacrifices to ensure that their children get the best

best possible start

of the population live in poor, scattered rural communities.

possible start in life. This is particularly impressive given that two-thirds Children often have to walk miles to primary school and live with relatives if they want to attend distant secondary schools. New classrooms are needed to cater for the growing population and to ensure that there are adequate places for children to continue into secondary and high school. The government supports the expansion of education, but is simply unable to keep up with demand. As a result, it tends to fund the salaries of teachers at approved

Vicky with one of the children from the Elwandle Roman Catholic Primary School

schools, while the local communi-



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 82

ties pay for the buildings, raising the funds themselves and typically

LOCATION

rolling up their sleeves and doing most of the construction work as well. Most people in Swaziland’s rural communities are poor, deriving their incomes from whatever they can grow on small plots watered by unreliable rainfall, along with remittances from relatives working in the cities and neighbouring countries. The SCT provides grants to the most determined of these communities. First, we require that school committees (comprising teachers,

1 2

parents and central- and local-government representatives) raise the initial capital and take responsibility for managing the building projects. The SCT then provides building materials, rather than cash, as they’re

1. Mbabne

2. Manzini

required. Committee management ensures full community involvement and ownership, and means that they determine the pace of implementation. A completed project results not only in tangible assets like classrooms, but the shared success is a source of enormous pride for the local community.

FAST FACTS

Here’s what the Trust is helping to achieve at the six schools. ŖEkutsimuleni

Lutheran Primary School

Build a classroom block at the school, in Luve, 20km north of Manzini, a key commercial city that’s roughly in the centre of the country. The SCT has a long relationship with this school, assisting with electrification, a water system and classroom construction. The school’s success has resulted in growing enrolments and the need for further classrooms. ŖLaMawandla

High School

Build a new library at the school, which is also in Luve. The need for a library has grown with the recent introduction of the English Gen-

SWAZILAND Development Index: 0.542 (No.141) Life expectancy: 40.2 years (No.179) Adult literacy rate: 79.6% (No.97) GDP per capita: US$4,705 (No.103)

eral Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), which demands more research than the old GCE ‘O’ level it replaces. Half of the 330 students are classified as OVCs, meaning orphans or vulnerable children. ŖMnjoli

High School

Build a classroom and science lab at the school, which is almost 60km

The UN Human Development Index combines measures of life expectancy, literacy, educational attainment, and per-capita GDP worldwide. Rankings in brackets are out of 179 countries. All figures are for 2006

north-east of Manzini and serves an isolated, impoverished community that has limited access to transport and social facilities. The science syllabus requires children to have practical laboratory experience Z



83 Touching Lives

These children have no material wealth; at school they can learn and express their love of life

X

before they can take their Form III (Year 9) exams; until now, they’ve been using the lab at a neighbouring high school that’s 24km away and is available only on Saturdays. ŖBhunya

Secondary School

Build a new classroom at the school, in Bhunya, 25km south-west of Manzini, that will enable it to finally become a full high school, offering students the opportunity to do their final year there. Bhunya has an outstanding academic record, matched only by schools in Swaziland’s major cities. About 40% of the school’s 390 students are OVCs, very few of whom could afford to travel far to complete their education. ŖElwandle

Roman Catholic Primary School

Build a kitchen at the school, which serves poor communities on the outskirts of Manzini and neighbouring rural areas. The head teacher tries to ensure no orphans are turned away (SCT directly supports 35 of them), and food provided at school is often the only full meal many children get. The basic meals are funded from school fees and donations. Food is a major problem: it’s hard to learn on an empty stomach. The kitchen will be greatly appreciated. ŖLittle

Academy - Faye’s School

Build a classroom at the new primary school in Mhlambanyatsi, 15km south of Mbabane, as part of an ongoing programme to add a new classroom each year, so the children can complete Bhunya’s new classroom (above); an assembly at Ekutsimuleni

their education there. To be successful, the projects we support need vision, skills and money. When all three come together, the benefits are great. When I hear the Swazi children sing, I know that what we’re doing is not only right but inspired. These children have nothing in the way of material wealth, but at school they have the chance to learn and express their love of life. I hope some of you will one day visit Swaziland to see firsthand what a difference all of us can make.



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 84

1

2

1. Schools often provide children with their main meal of the day 3

2. Getting down to work at Ekutsimuleni Primary School 3. Parents attend an open day at Elwandle Primary School

‘It will enable us to give them all two meals a day’ The HIV/Aids pandemic has left children orphaned and vulnerable, and many pupils are now heads of their families. Sadly, they don’t have breakfast and come to school on an empty stomach. Some of our children are also taking ARVs [antiretroviral drugs for HIV/Aids], so the teachers need to see to it that they don’t take their medication on an empty stomach. The new kitchen will benefit all at the school, but it will transform the lives of these children. It will enable us to give them all two meals a day: thin porridge, just to put something in the stomach before starting school; and then maize and beans for their lunch. It will decrease malnutrition and allow the children to concentrate on their studies. Having a special place to prepare meals and store food and utensils will also improve hygiene and cleanliness. It will allow teachers to banish food from the classrooms, further improving the learning environment. Busisiwe Mamba, Elwandle RC Primary School head teacher



85 Touching Lives

PHOTO: PAUL ROGERS (THE TIMES)

STREET CHILD AFRICA



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 86

AFRICA Charity: Street Child Africa Project: Support three new and ongoing projects for street children in Ghana, Senegal and Zimbabwe: establishing a crèche and drop-in centre, as well as funding street-based social-work programmes. Funding: US$100,000

What is it? Street Child Africa (SCA) is a UK-based charity that supports a select number of NGOs working with homeless children in seven African countries (Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe). These carefully selected organisations offer street children guidance from trustworthy adults, education, healthcare, skills training and, importantly, a way out of their poverty trap so they can choose a different path in life. SCA raises funds for, and awareness of, the great work these groups are doing.

How did we help? The head of CLSA’s London office, Philip Pritchard, approached the Chairman’s Trust on behalf of SCA in 2008 for much-needed assistance with new and ongoing projects in Ghana, Senegal and Zimbabwe. In Kumasi, Ghana’s second-biggest city, SCA has helped its local partner establish a crèche and supported its drop-in centre, which offers healthcare, counselling and basic education. In Dakar (Senegal) and Harare (Zimbabwe), the charity has focused on paying the salaries of street-based social workers, who play such a vital role in this field, offering immediate crisis support as well as long-term advice.



87 Touching Lives

Making a real difference Philip Pritchard

I first heard about Street Child Africa in 2006, when an ex-colleague - a

Non-Executive Director, CLSA London

former stockbroker in Asia - cycled the entire length of Great Britain, from Land’s End in the southwest to John O’Groats in the north of Scotland, to raise money for the charity. Considering that, like most brokers, he’d never been overly keen on exercise, I was so impressed I decided the charity was definitely worth a closer look. What struck me was that, unlike many charities, Street Child Africa deals with the realities of homeless children, offering these resourceful kids help to get themselves out of dangerous or abusive situations. Unfortunately, that can make it difficult to raise funds, as people often

Street children are typically orphans

believe that only adults can decide the best solutions. But only by working with the children can a truly successful, long-term strategy be found. Having sponsored my ex-colleague, I felt Street Child Africa was an

or separated from

ideal charity for the Chairman’s Trust. The work it does is unique and

their families

dedicated to the cause.

because of violence or abuse

the numerous people I’ve met who work for the organisation are totally Street children are typically orphans or separated from their families because of violence or abuse. Many are ill and malnourished. They live outside society and are anonymous: they usually have no health cards, birth certificates or identities. They have no access to formal education and often are abused. The Trust’s donation has helped Street Child Africa support three great projects: in Ghana, Senegal and Zimbabwe. Kumasi Street Children Project (Kumasi, Ghana) Street

Child

Africa

has

been

involved with the Kumasi Street Children Project, which is run by the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, since 2007. Its three key Children on the streets of Harare face a bleak future without the likes of Streets Ahead

areas of activity are street work, a



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 88

drop-in centre and a crèche for the children of street girls. The cen-

LOCATION

tre teaches homeless children basic literacy and numeracy skills, and 1

offers them advice on nutrition and hygiene, as well as counselling and a safe place off the streets. The Kumasi Street Children Project also runs programmes to educate the general public about the rights of street children. The numbers

2

of children attending its drop-in centre increased during 2008 and over

3

time their general health improved, thanks to the information available to them about hygiene as well as the charity enrolling them in the country’s new national health system. Avenir de l’Enfant (Dakar, Senegal)

1. Dakar 2. Kumasi

3. Harare

This NGO runs a long-established refuge and has an experienced team of street-based social workers. Avenir de l’Enfant also works within Koranic schools to protect children from abuse and exploitation. As well, it’s active in advocacy and raising awareness about children’s rights. In 2008, Street Child Africa helped Avenir de l’Enfant to complete

FAST FACTS

the outfitting of a new building housing the refuge and other facilities and activities. It also contributed to the salaries of some of its social

GHANA

workers. A key focus of Avenir de l’Enfant’s activities in 2008 was

Development Index: 0.533 (No.142)

increased drug use among homeless children and ongoing violence against them, including by police. Streets Ahead (Harare, Zimbabwe) In the face of daunting political, economic, bureaucratic and health obstacles, Streets Ahead has persevered with its remarkable work among street children in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare. With less food available throughout the country, there has been a significant increase

Life expectancy: 59.4 years (No.139) Adult literacy rate: 64.2% (No.120) GDP per capita: US$1,247 (No.152)

in violence and more young children turning to prostitution, putting them at risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Streets Ahead continues to help these children through its remarkable street-outreach team, drop-in centre and foster home, as well as its health-education and skills-training programmes.

The UN Human Development Index combines measures of life expectancy, literacy, educational attainment, and per-capita GDP worldwide. Rankings in brackets are out of 179 countries. All figures are for 2006

I continue to closely follow the fantastic work of Street Child Africa and its partner organisations and hope to visit some of their projects the next time I’m in the region.



PHOTOS: PAUL ROGERS (THE TIMES) AND ROBIN HAMMOND

89 Touching Lives

‘Street Child Africa gets out on the streets and helps homeless children. Only by working with the children can a truly successful, long-term strategy be found.’ These images show the plight of street children in Ghana, Senegal and Zimbabwe, as well as some of the projects with which Street Child Africa and the Chairman’s Trust are involved.



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 90

FAST FACTS SENEGAL Development Index: 0.502 (No.53) Life expectancy: 62.6 years (No.134) Adult literacy rate: 42.0% (No.139) GDP per capita: US$1,592 (No.144) The UN Human Development Index combines measures of life expectancy, literacy, educational attainment, and per-capita GDP worldwide. Rankings in brackets are out of 179 countries. All figures are for 2006

FAST FACTS ZIMBABWE Development Index: 0.513 (No.151) Life expectancy: 40.9 years (No.176) Adult literacy rate: 89.4% (No.60) GDP per capita: US$2,038 (No.140) The UN Human Development Index combines measures of life expectancy, literacy, educational attainment, and per-capita GDP worldwide. Rankings in brackets are out of 179 countries. All figures are for 2006





The Chairmen and the Trust



91 Touching Lives

Growing up Coull Leslie Coull

Even as a young boy, my brother Gary had big dreams. I remember

CLSA Chief Executive Officer

when he decided, during our early years of elementary school, to dig his way to China, which he believed wasn’t too far from our first house at 34th and Carnarvon in Vancouver. Significantly, our parents encouraged his high spirits, emptying the shed of shovels to help him in his first quest to reach the East. Gary’s amazing powers of persuasion and leadership were evident even then: as news spread of his backyard venture, the youngsters of Kerrisdale excitedly lined up outside our house, hoping Gary would let them join in. The days that followed were magical, indeed. Our backyard became a thriving enterprise of upturned lawn and children caked in dirt but with huge grins. Our mother served up lemonade, little sandwiches and lots of encouragement. That Gary didn’t reach his destination didn’t discourage him, as it was the adventure of possibility that inspired him most.

It was the

Almost two decades later, Gary finally arrived in that childhood

adventure of

dreamland, with only a few coins in his pocket but the same unwavering

possibility

Asia was not just an adventure, it was the story. None of us could have

that inspired

known back then that when his plane touched down in Hong Kong, he

Gary most

determination that Asia was a land to be explored. By then, he believed

would stay for almost 30 years. Our parents discovered early that Gary was a child with an uncommon mind fueled by an almost unforgiving stream of energy. Whether it was a Cub Scouts meeting, a soccer game or a times-table drill, he put his heart into it and lived every moment with feverish intensity. Eventually, Scouts gave way to the Jockey Club, golf replaced soccer and the times-tables found an outlet at the poker table. Gary’s endless energy was a constant source of amusement for our family, with occasional moments of concern. But our parents never thought to rein in Gary’s immense curiosity. Rather, they encouraged him to explore his world - from that small backyard to the distant corners of the globe. Whether it was trying to understand the ways of the world as a child, gathering facts



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 92

for a breaking news piece in his journalism days, hitting on a trend in business, formulating research at CLSA, or analysing the menacing ways of cancer, Gary’s curiosity always led him to getting the story. And to each story he brought his skills of being able to see the essence, devise a plan and then embrace it with all his heart. Our father’s oldest and dearest friend, Jimmy Crosato, posted a touching message on Gary’s memorial website that I think of often. He wrote that Gary ‘took everything that was meaningful and good’ from our parents. So true. Our father was an auctioneer with a talent for keeping audiences entertained and, most importantly, bidding. As a Mason, he taught us by example to give to others. Our mother worked in accountancy and, with her talent for numbers, steered the family’s business and investments. She studied the daily stock pages with a passion. (I remember when Gary and I, still in elementary school, broke into our piggy banks to invest in seaweed on a hot tip from Mom.) Our parents were politically and socially minded. They challenged us over Sunday dinners of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding to always consider others and to think beyond our shores. Both excellent writ-

Gary took everything that was meaningful

ers, they were sticklers for grammar. Gary and I were convinced we

and good from

had the only parents in our school who questioned our teachers about

our parents

‘A’ graded English papers Mom and Dad said were fraught with incorrect usage. Gary had our father’s wit, showman’s ability and capacity to give to others. From Mom, he inherited a head for numbers and a fascination with the stock market. Both contributed significantly to Gary’s world view, were the force behind his editor’s pen and set the standard for that familiar Sunday night meal. I hold close my lifetime of memories of Gary, from stunning Christmases at the Bun-



93 Touching Lives

galows in Hawaii to our final project together in building the Beach House. Gary was devoted to our family and would call from wherever he was in the world every Sunday to check on the roast and get updates on the Canucks. He was never far when anyone was ill, and used his resources to ensure that our parents received the best care possible. This continues for our mother. A key figure in those memories of Gary is his wife, Vicky, who continues to have a special place in our family. Over many decades, she shared with him - and us - some great times and some tough times. We were all devastated when he was diagnosed with cancer. For my mother and me, it was particularly difficult, often being so far from him in the months and years that followed. But knowing that Gary had Vicky there with him eased our heartache. We will always be immensely grateful to her for her insight, positive outlook and enduring care of the son and brother we loved so much.

Gary was a man of grand gestures, as well as small sentimental ones

Gary was a man of grand gestures, as well as small, sentimental ones. In 1998, he tucked away a wisp of heather from our father’s memorial service in Vancouver. When he was in Dundee later that year, he searched out the house in which our father was born. With the owners’ permission, Gary planted a tree for Dad in the front yard and placed the wisp of heather at its roots. As a brother, Gary was stellar. He was always interested in my work with children, and followed my teaching career with his trademark enthusiasm. When a group of us decided to start a publishing company, he was in. His funding helped us produce materials for students with learning difficulties that are today used in thousands of schools throughout North America. These programmes challenge teachers and administra-



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 94

tors to think differently about how to work with these students. Gary, more than anyone, was proud of that message. After Gary saw the

What began

first educational video we put together, he called me immediately to

as a charitable

tell me that we had ‘got the story’ and packaged it well. From then on,

donation

he became a champion for these students, even sending me to Washington to meet members of the US Senate to present the issues. What

became a

began as a charitable donation became a personal mission.

personal mission

As Gary’s little sister, it was a fascinating journey for me as I watched with awe the workings of that incredible mind, from his earliest to his final days. What I couldn’t know back when we were digging up that backyard was just what a mark he would make, what a cherished person he would become in my life and just how early that final goodbye would come. What I do know is that the big dreams of both Jim and Gary live on in the work of the Chairman’s Trust, through the dedication of the CLSA staff who bring the vision of possibility to each remarkable project.



95 Touching Lives

A wonderful life Sophie Walker

I was born in a small orphanage in Hanoi, Vietnam, in June 1993. The

CLSA Chief Executive Officer

nurses there thought I was so beautiful they gave me the name Nyguen Minh Trang, which means “Little Princess”. I first met my parents when I was 10 days old. That was the start of my wonderful life with Jim and Elaine Walker. To explain to me how I came to be adopted, my Mum used to say that I’d been an angel flying around in heaven looking for a family; I saw my Mum and Dad and wanted to belong to them, but to do that I needed

With Uncle

to be born to another mother.

Gary’s help,

work to be done so I could go home with them, Dad went back to work

my Mum and I

in Singapore. But when Mum visited the orphanage the day after he

started a charity,

less, armed with a book on parenting, Mum and I headed to Hanoi’s

the Walker

Metropole Hotel to wait for a visa.

Family Foundation

I headed for the UK (where Mum is from) and Dad flew back to Sin-

Because Mum and Dad thought it would take a while for the paper-

left, the nurses handed me over. She was taken by surprise. Nonethe-

Dad joined us and, when my visa was finally approved, Mum and gapore. Dad had checked all our bags in at the airport; when Mum and I arrived in London after a long flight, we discovered that we had the suitcase with all the dirty washing Dad was meant to be taking back to Singapore, and he had all of my baby clothes and formula. Travelling with Mum and Dad was always full of surprises. Soon after, Dad flew to London to meet us. By this time I was six weeks old. And that’s when I first met Uncle Gary, my Dad’s best friend and business partner. He has played a major role in my life. In October 1993, we moved down to Beaudesert in south-



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 96

ern Queensland. Palmaday (“place of running horses”) was the name of our farm. I spent many a day running around the paddocks in my big yellow gumboots with our fluffy white dog, Gabi, by my side. When I was four, Dad started to miss Asia, so we moved to Hong Kong. I made lots of friends, many of whom I’m still in contact with. In 2000, we moved back to Australia and lived on the Gold Coast. My Dad died quite suddenly when I was 11. This devastated my Mum and me, and we moved to Sydney to start afresh. I feel blessed to have had such loving parents and to have lived such a very special life with them. Had I not been adopted, I wouldn’t

I feel blessed to have had such loving parents

have had the privilege of my fantastic education. Vietnamese girls are

and to have lived

usually educated only to the end of primary school, whereas boys get

such a special

the benefit of the full education system. With Uncle Gary’s help, my Mum and I started a charity, the Walker

life with them

Family Foundation, that funds 100 scholarships for Vietnamese girls each year, so they have the opportunity to attend high school. I feel very strongly about this programme and hope that some time in the near future I’ll be able to visit the schools and learn more about it.



97 Touching Lives

Making dreams come true Russell Napier

The Karen Napier Charity was founded in 2000 in memory of my wife,

CLSA Consultant

Karen, who died earlier that year. Gary Coull and one of my colleagues at CLSA, Andrew Riddick, came up with the idea of raising money for charity in Karen’s name. In November that year, CLSA set aside a day on which clients could designate commissions to be paid to the charity. The result was £370,000, thanks to the 33 firms that took part, plus donations from CLSA staff. Karen was able to make a major career change, becoming an investment manager at HSBC, as a result of taking her Master of Science in investment analysis at Stirling University in Scotland. The aim of the charity was to provide a series of scholarships so that others from all over the world could have that same opportunity, with a focus

The aim was to

on women seeking to change their careers by moving into finance.

provide a series

‘opened doors to the investment-management industry that may other-

of scholarships

wise have been closed to a mature student such as myself’.

so that others

for the master’s degree in investment analysis are from the UK. We work

could have that

closely with the university, which has helped the charity tremendously,

same opportunity

fee levels, regardless of where in the world they come from. This means

Susannah Lindey, who received a scholarship in 2001-02, says it

Although Stirling is in the middle of Scotland, few of the applicants

particularly by accepting all Karen Napier Scholars at UK and European a significant discount on fees, which has enabled the charity to consider all applicants on a truly equal basis and allowed our funding to go further than it would otherwise do. So far, we’ve assisted 20 students from 14 countries, paying all their tuition fees and providing a maintenance grant of £3,500. They’ve come from China, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Russia, Ghana, Trinidad, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria and the UK. Whereas women are a minority of applicants for the course, they’ve been awarded most of the scholarships. The charity is always open to new ideas and working with new partners. This year, for example, we plan to provide financing for the Barefoot MBA programme, which was established by Mechai Viravaidya’s Population and Community Development Association to teach basic business skills to village-level entrepreneurs in the developing world.



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 98

KAREN NAPIER CHARITY SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

2001-02 David Abbey (Ghana) Susannah Lindey (UK) 2002-03 Maxim Skorniakov (Russia) Ping Luo (China) 2003-04 Reema Mannah (Trinidad) Deborah Aghughu (Nigeria) 2004-05 Bernard Madure (Zimbabwe) Francis Mawala (South Africa) 2005-06 Jane Somerville (UK) Duc Hiep Nguyen (Vietnam) 2006-07 Pimpana Sudsaneha (Thailand) Karla Lopez (Mexico) Kumbirai Mabwe (South Africa) 2007-08 Cuong Nguyen Manh (Vietnam) Rustam Sapaev (Kazakhstan) Zhanar Khurmanalina (Kazakhstan) 2008-09 Aigul Moldabayeva (Kazakhstan) Sani Sutanto (Indonesia) Svetlana Viteva (Bulgaria) Than Huong Vu (Vietnam)

Thanks to some fortuitous investment, we’ve turned our seed money of £370,000 into £540,000, and to date the Karen Napier Char-

Every penny

ity has donated almost £160,000. The charity has no running costs:

goes towards

every penny of funding goes towards providing a unique opportunity for

providing a unique

students from across the globe to obtain an education in finance that for many is only a dream. We hope to be still making dreams come true

opportunity for

many years from now.

students from

Karen embraced life with enthusiasm. If this legacy rewards the motivation of others and gives them an opportunity to fulfil their own

across the globe

potential, then Karen’s energy, generosity and spirit continue.



99 Touching Lives

Mission and overview Simone Wheeler

The CLSA Chairman’s Trust was established in November 2006 in

CLSA Head of Communications

memory of the firm’s first two chairmen, Jim Walker and Gary Coull, and incorporating much of the work begun by the Gary Coull Foundation and the Walker Family Foundation. The Trust’s aim is to support communities, groups and individuals in the region that have not benefited directly from Asia’s remarkable growth story. We also support several projects in Africa, but our primary focus is Asia. Our aim is to help improve education, health and welfare

Our aim is to help improve education, health and welfare through sustainable projects and organisations

through financing sustainable, measurable projects, particularly those that enhance local communities’ skills and aid women and children. Under the guidance of an independent board, the Trust, which is registered as a charity in Hong Kong, looks for innovative and efficient ways to deploy its charitable funds. Although independent of CLSA, the Trust receives financial and administrative support from the company, so all donations go to the charities. Funding comes from a variety of sources, including annual dealing days, which have generated net commissions in excess of US$7 million. The board meets monthly and allocates funding after assessing applications made directly to the Trust or through proactive identification of specific needs in a community. We give priority to projects in which CLSA staff are actively engaged, as this helps ensure accountability and staff involvement in their communities. If staff aren’t directly involved, projects need to have a CLSA sponsor. Generally, the Trust favours small, grassroots projects and organisations, and prefers charities with low administrative costs so that the majority of donations go to those in need. Recipients are required to report on progress every six months to ensure ongoing funding. Applicants must be able to demonstrate the following: ŖConvincing ŖEvidence ŖClear

and accountable plan for success;

ŖAbility ŖLevel

record of activity;

of an ability to spend grants wisely;

to deliver measurable and sustainable results;

of self-sustainability;

ŖStrong

leadership and use of local resources;

ŖEvidence ŖSupport

of support from the local community;

of, and involvement by, CLSA staff.

The Trust encourages applications meeting these criteria, and we look forward to considering many more worthwhile projects.



CLSA Chairman’s Trust 100

Learn more about the charities

Agir Pour les Femmes en Situation Précaire www.afesip.org

Ayala Foundation www.ayalafoundation.org

Band Aid Charitable Trust www.live8live.com/bat

Bushfire Family UK www.bushfirefamily.org.uk

CLSA Chairman’s Trust www.clsa.com/chairmans-trust For details about the Trust and how to apply for funding, visit our website, or contact us directly at: [email protected]

Gentle Fund Organization www.gentlefund.org

Karya Salemba Empat www.karyasalemba4.org

The Kipungani Schools Trust www.thekstrust.com

Médecins Sans Frontières www.msf.org

Medical Emergency Relief International (Merlin) www.merlin.org.uk

Parivaar Ashram www.parivaar.org

Population and Community Development Association www.pda.or.th

Quidan Kaisahan [email protected]

Red Cross Society of China www.redcross.org.cn

Right to Read [email protected]

Room to Read www.roomtoread.org

Save the Children www.savethechildren.org.uk

Street Child Africa www.streetchildafrica.org.uk

Swaziland Charitable Trust www.swazilandcharitable trust.org

Temple Garden www.templegarden foundation.com

Titian Foundation www.titianfoundation.com



101 Touching Lives

End notes TRUSTEES Nick Cashmore, Simon Chee, Mitzi de Dios, Grace Hung, Edwin Lucas, Richard Pyvis, Richard Savage, Jonathan Slone, Helena Wai, Simone Wheeler, Laurie Young EDITORIAL ADVISORY PANEL Simon Harris, Andrew Keenan, Richard Pyvis, Jonathan Slone, Robert Webber, Simone Wheeler PHOTOGRAPHY Thanks to Claire Beilvert, Cliff Cheng, Robin Hammond, John Maguire, Swapan Nayak, Paul Rogers (The Times). All other photos are courtesy of our partner charities or CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets. All efforts have been made to determine copyright holders. PRODUCTION Publisher Simon Harris Project Director Robert Webber Editor Andrew Keenan

Graphics Jennifer Luk

Editorial assistance Judy Cheng, Jeremy Halden, Liz Patterson, Fiona Shiu, Wai-Land Tai, Rebecca Taylor Head of Production Aligo Mok Production assistance Christina Chan, Gloria Ho, Lizzie Lau, Ellen Lo, Koji Sasaki, Felix Wong, Joanne Wong

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CLSA Chairman’s Trust 102



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