Published : 2025-10-30

On 30 October 1989, the Communist Youth League (CYL) and the China Youth Development Foundation (CYDF) decided to establish a fund to help out-of-school children from impoverished areas, providing long-term financial assistance for children in China's poor regions who were of both good character and academic standing but had dropped out of school due to family difficulties.

It became known as the "Project Hope" (希望工程).

Project Hope raises funds from across society to establish grants-in-aid, providing long-term support for primary school pupils in China's impoverished areas who, despite being of both good character and academic standing, have dropped out of school due to family poverty.

The Project helps them return to school until they complete their primary education.

It also builds "Hope Primary Schools" in impoverished areas, as well as purchasing teaching aids, stationery and books for primary schools in these areas.

Moreover, Project Hope provides special scholarships for outstanding primary and secondary school students from impoverished areas, funding their further studies until university graduation.

At the time, Project Hope received praise and support from many veteran revolutionaries. For example, Li Xiannian (李先念), then Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), wrote an inscription for it: "Help the out-of-school children in impoverished areas and foster a good social custom of society-wide care for young people".

Marshal Nie Rongzhen (聶榮臻) also wrote an inscription that read, "For the children, for the future".

Later, Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平) twice donated to Project Hope in the name of "an old Communist Party member" and personally inscribed the four Chinese characters "希望工程" (meaning "Project Hope").

As of the end of October 2024, Project Hope nationwide has aided in the construction of a total of 21,141 Hope Primary Schools and funded over 7.5 million students from financially disadvantaged families.