Why do you only provide scholarships to girls?
In rural China, families tend to favor their sons when it comes to education. The expectation is that their sons will support the family in the future. Daughters are often denied this opportunity because when daughters marry, it is custom that they go to live with their husband's family. These young women have, in a sense, left their families and are now expected to support their husband's family. These social customs combined with the relatively high cost of schooling prohibit many poor rural families from giving their daughters the kind of education crucial to improving their lives.
Despite the efforts of the Chinese government to promote gender equality, old schools of thought still prevail. According to UNICEF, "An estimated two-thirds of China's un-enrolled school age children are girls. Moreover, girls who are enrolled are the first to drop out when economic pressures affect their families." These families need to invest in their son's education in order to provide economic security in their old age.
The Girl Effect:
The most powerful force of change on the planet is a girl.
When an educated girl earns income, she reinvests 90% of it in her family, compared to 35% for a boy. Yet 99.4% of international aid money is not directed to her.
Invest in a girl and she will do the rest.
How many of the students go on to college?
Approximately 80% of the students from these top schools obtain a college degree after graduating high school. Not only are there college scholarships available to our students, but the Chinese government also offers student loans with extremely low interest rates. These low rates are guaranteed both while they are earning their degree and for the three years following graduation.
Is their high school education still valuable if they don't go on to college?
Some students may not go on to college but still have a very valuable education. Because the high school education system in China is so rigorous, students graduate with a well rounded education including math and sciences and even English language. This training allows them to learn new tasks more rapidly, gain a larger world view and improved their analytical skills.
Some students may decide to return home, get married and start their own families. Even at home their education will pay dividends. Studies have shown a strong correlation between health of children and the level of their mother's education. These future wives and mothers will also be able to help their families in business planning and use the connections they have made in high school to promote it. They will also be able to do something that many of their illiterate parents could not do for them - they will be able to help their children with their homework.
Can I sponsor a student through monthly donations?
Yes you can!
Unfortunately, we can only accept the first 100 sponsors into our monthly program. Because the first half of the tuition is due in September of each year, we may need to send the funds to China before they are received from you. We are currently applying for grants that will enable us to pay the tuition when it is due and expand this program.
How does the Moving Mountains letter exchange work?
All letters will be sent through Moving Mountains to facilitate translation and to protect the privacy of both the student and sponsor. Addresses and full names should not be shared. Because our translators are volunteers, we ask that correspondence be limited to:
One thank you letter written from the student each year. ( October )
Two letters from you to the student each year. ( August & May )
One response from the student to you each year. ( June )
Can I send a care package to the student that I sponsored?
Many of our sponsors have asked to send care packages to China. We understand that many sponsors feel a strong connection to the students and would like to do more. Unfortunately, in order to protect the feelings of the girls who do not receive packages, we cannot provide this service.
Can I volunteer for Moving Mountains?
If you are interested in volunteering for Moving Mountains, please contact us at 603-964-8000.
How much of my donation goes to China?
Moving Mountains is deeply committed to keeping our overhead low. Since it's inception in March of 2007, non-program have expenses amounted to less than 1% of revenues. Our goal is to save every dollar possible for the education of these exceptional young girls.
Moving Mountains has an all volunteer staff. They are a committed group of individuals who are passionate about this project. We have no expenses for rent, utilities, or professional services and all volunteers are required to pay their own travel expenses. Our goal is to save every dollar possible to be used for the education of our students.
Click here to review our tax return for the year ended September 30, 2008
Is my donation tax deductible?
Moving Mountains for Education, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization based in the U.S. Please consult your tax advisor for specific tax advice. To confirm our standing with the IRS, click here.
http://www.irs.gov/app/pub-78/forwardToSearch.do
What does the $338 cover?
Each $338 donation pays tuition for one full year of high school. Up to ten percent of this amount may be used for program expenses by the nonprofit foundation in China that facilitates our program and monitors each student. Excess funds, if any, are used to provide a living stipend for the student, to offset variances in tuition or carried forward to the following school year.
Click here to review our tax return for the year ended September 30, 2008
How did Moving Mountains begin?
On October 15, 2002, we received the call. It was Cara from China Adoption with Love calling with incredible news.
I said, "Please just tell me it's a girl."
Cara laughed and said, "Yes, its girl...and today is her birthday."
That night we began to research our daughter's orphanage and found a group of parents with children who had been in the same orphanage. There, we quickly learned about Marty Schmidt, a teacher from the Hong Kong International School. Marty regularly brings his students to my daughter's orphanage to help care for the babies.
Over the years, a friendship developed and we began to learn about some of the other projects that Marty and his students were involved in. He, his partners and his students also work in extremely impoverished areas in rural China.
During a second trip to China in September of 2006, we were able to spend some time with one of Marty's partners. She is an incredible woman who has dedicated her life to helping poor families in the countryside. We were so inspired by her that I wrote an email to Marty a few days after arriving home. After a few sporadic emails back and forth, Marty sent this one on January 13, 2007:
"I don't know what you are interested in, but Michelle visited our school recently and spoke to a small group of students about supporting young girls' education. Michelle told us, as an example, that when they visited one girl's family and proposed the scholarship, the family called their daughter who was already working in a factory in Shenzhen and told her someone was willing to fund her schooling. So, she headed home. That's the kind of thing that can change a person's life and her family's life for a long time to come. And the costs are not that high to keep kids in school - $300 for high school students."
With Marty's email and a strong network of adoptive families, Moving Mountains got its start.
~ Kim Jodoin, Founder, Moving Mountains
How is the program monitored?
Your donation is given directly to the school by our facilitators in China. No student is given access to any funds. A teacher from each high school is assigned to monitor each girl's progress and reports of her test scores are provided to our partners each semester.
A staff member travels to the schools to meet with the students at least twice a year. Our facilitator's records are audited on an annual basis by independent certified public accountants from Hong Kong. The resulting report is then required to be filed with the government and provided to Moving Mountains.
What about the orphanage charities?
Our organization complements the work of the orphanage charities and we encourage our donors to support both causes. We know that the children who have been left behind desperately need our help. We also believe that it is important to look at the root of the problem of abandonment. We believe that by educating young women, we can help change some of the circumstances that force mothers to abandon their baby girls in the first place. Educating a young girl not only improves her life, but it also promotes gender equality.
