Heilongjiang Project 200 – mushrooms anyone
Project 200 is about bringing hope to the poorest children we can find in this Northern China community. We are partnered with government schools to support these kids so they can remain in school and progress through their education. This past six months we have also been busy experimenting with some poverty reduction programs. This has been a difficult challenge for us as many of the children we support live with aging grandparents having been abandoned by parents or who have lost their parents through mining accidents or divorce. Poverty reduction strategies are therefore limited. As introduced in the last update, we have now successfully completed our trial of mushroom growing as a poverty reduction program. The final result for our pilot study was an estimated 73% return on investment. This solution will now be rolled-out to other families who have the land and physical capability to make this a success. Over time these families can expand their capacity through reinvesting some of the profits. Thanks again to a family in Australia who has funded this mushroom program and also to all those who sponsor these children from around the world. Your support not only keeps your child in school, but has enabled several other children to do the same also.
(Pictured: One of the grandmas proudly harvesting her mushrooms. These are then dried and taken to market; Our Captivating Field representative, Phoenix, visiting one of the families to inspect progress of a sponsored child and the project.).
January 20, 2012
Fundraiser to help Qinghai girls – a Press Article by Shenzhen Daily
SOME 600 guests from Shenzhen’s expat community flocked to the Futian Shangri-la, Shenzhen to raise money to support the education and development of 120 impoverished girls in Qinghai.
Co-hosted by the Futian Shangri-la, Shenzhen and Captivating International, proceeds from the night went directly to support the work of LOVEQTRA, a Qinghai- registered charity/NPO, passionate about creating vibrant futures for poor girls from Qinghai and Sichuan provinces.
To help promote the fundraising effort, 24 girls from Qinghai traveled by train to perform traditional dance to captivate Shenzhen audiences including Shekou-based international schools, SIS and QSI, proud supporters of the project.
Andrew Colquhoun, co-founder and CEO of Captivating International — a Hong Kong-registered charity, stated, “This is our third year partnering with LOVEQTRA on this project. Each year we continue to be overwhelmed by the growing support offered by Shenzhen residents.”
“A small sacrifice on our part creates a world of possibilities for them. Knowing that you have helped them move from difficult circumstances to being part of a good program focused on giving them a chance at a better life — that’s priceless,” he said.
Captivating International has been collaborating with the Futian Shangri-La, Shenzhen for over two years. It works to match foreign donors with quality Chinese initiatives focused on reducing family poverty and helping disadvantaged children improve their lives. (Maggie Tang)
January 19, 2012
Seng Girls Home-Shekou International School’s (SIS) Winter Bazaar
Shekou International School’s Winter Bazaar is an important annual event, it provides significant help to communities in need. It was held at December 10th, 2012 at the mountainside of Jinshan Villas in Shekou, Shenzhen, China.
It was a beautiful, sunny, winter day. The bazaar showcased delicious foods from around the world. There were home-made goodies from over fifteen countries. Many merchants and local individuals displayed and sold items. Each year this bizarre is famous in Shekou and draws many attendees because of the great selection of food and items for sale.
We thank SIS for providing us an opportunity to sell our newly published English and Chinese bilingual cookbook titled “Our International Kitchen”. Our gorgeous staff, Tracy and Rita sold 12 in 4 hours.
When the bazaar ended a very impressive thing happened. We received a donation of 2,110 RMB from Genius Progress Ltd., This very generous merchant decided to donate all the proceeds raised from the products they sold at the Winter Bazaar to the Seng Girls. Thank you Genius Progress for you donation and willingness to help others! Once again another perfect example of how supportive and wonderful our Shenzhen community is.
December 19, 2011
Futian Shangri-La charity race supporting Seng Girls Home
PRESS RELEASE: FUTIAN Shangri-La, Shenzhen brought the international sport of stair climbing to Shenzhen once again with its second vertical charity race Saturday. Designed to encourage getting exercise, the event raised funds to provide educational support to impoverished students in Captivating International’s Seng Girls’ Vocational Training School and Home (SGVTS). Participants experienced a test of endurance, strength and mental fortitude — climbing from the hotel lobby to the summit, making the race a total vertical distance of 191 meters or 440 steps. A party on the terrace of the Chairman’s Room on level 40 followed the climb. There was a brunch reception, live entertainment and a lucky draw with Shenzhen’s skyline as the backdrop. In line with the hotel’s mission of giving back to the community, 100% of participant entry fees went to Captivating’ s SGVTS program – a school and vocational training site that cares for more than 120 girls and a place of safety that provides refuge for girls rescued from extremely disadvantaged circumstances. The home is located in the southern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China and was established in 2005 to allow girls from “at risk” circumstances to be given the chance to change their lives. The hotel aims to organize the vertical race annually, with charity supporters and fitness enthusiasts returning to take part and beat previous times. For more details, e-mail flying.zhang@shangri-la.com.
December 14, 2011
Being a Captivating Volunteer – an article by Angela Kowalski
I first learned about the Seng Girls’ Home in 2009 when my good friend Lynn Velez told me she was working with our friends Julie and Andrew Colquhoun from Captivating and planning a charity auction to benefit the home. I was taken by how the home got started. A man (Dockpo) and his family had opened their home to these disadvantaged young girls in Qinghai Province and ensured they were safe and cared for. I could not imagine parenting this large family – then about 30 girls. It seemed pretty clear that Dockpo and the home could use some financial support to provide for the girls’ basic needs and their education. I felt compelled to help! My husband Scott agreed and the Seng Girls have been a part of our lives ever since.
When I joined the charity auction team I had no idea how enriched my life would become. I have met and interacted with so many wonderful people – old friends and new friends. Their talents, ideas and resources have helped the auction blossom into an amazing event. I have overcome my discomfort in asking individuals and businesses for donations and I am continuously overwhelmed with the generosity of our donors. Additionally, I have had the wonderful opportunity to meet some of the Seng girls – they are charming, beautiful, hard-working, motivated individuals. All we are doing to support these young women will be rewarded. I look forward to their future accomplishments.
In the two years since that memorable first charity auction at Aulon Wine Bar, the number of Seng girls has grown to 120 and our community’s support has expanded with the need for more resources at the home. It’s awesome!
As we planned the 2nd and 3rd Annual Charity Auctions at the Futian Shangri-La Hotel, it became clear that we would need the help of many volunteers to ensure the success of the events. The artistic, organizational, logistical and detail oriented talents of many individuals are needed to make this event happen. It was great to see so many new volunteers helping at the 3rd Annual Charity Auction! These women and men did a brilliant job and ensured everything went smoothly. Going forward the auction team will need our continued support. I encourage you to volunteer! Let the Seng Girls touch your heart as they have touched mine.
December 8, 2011
Sichuan Sapling project- Village Development
Since 2008, Captivating has started sapling projects in three villages of Sichuan and Gansu province.Recent inspection of our second village – Qingchuan County, Sichuan – showed better than expected results. We are excited about this wonderful progress. In this village, 107 families received a total of 13,000 high quality grafted walnut trees planted in March 2009. Results show that more than 85% of the trees have survived their first winter (a high-risk period for new saplings – we budget on 70% surviving). These young trees are growing well and are expected to yield their first marketable fruit on-schedule in 2015.
Most of the families in this village lost their homes during the May 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Since then, their homes have been rebuilt thanks to a partnership between the Chinese Government and World Vision International. Captivating’s role is to help these families create sustainable farm-generated income that will help end poverty for them and their reliance on working as migrants in city locations – a decision that separates family units. At this current moment, more than 90% of the village families rely on income from a father or mother (or both) who move to the cities in search of work. Most of the children are living with grandparents or single parents.
Thank you for all of your generous support of this project.
(Pictured: Two of the children now living with hope of a better tomorrow; The village leader standing next to a Captivating Sapling on track for maturation in 2015).
December 7, 2011
Got 3 minutes – check out this DVD on Shenzhen’s 3rd Annual Midnight Charity Race
This awesome event directly benefits the work of Captivating International – specifically Project Eden in Guangdong Province. It is doubling in size each year thanks to the amazing work of Greg and his team. An incredible RMB113,000 (US$17k) was raised. For more details, go to www.szrace.com
December 7, 2011
Treasures of Hope Birthday Celebrations
On Sat 17th September Treasures of Hope celebrated their 2nd anniversary and invited customers, volunteers and charities to join them in their celebration. Treasures of Hope is a unique store that opened in Dongguan, Guangdong province in 2009. All the proceeds from the store benefit three local charities; Handa, True Children’s Home and Captivating International.
Each of the charities were represented in the store to chat to customers about the work they do in the Dongguan community. Michelle from the Dongguan women’s group baked delicious cupcakes for everyone to enjoy. Cyndi and four of the children from our Eden Project had beautiful bracelets (which were made by the children) on display and also helped to teach visitors to our table how to make their own bracelets. Children had craft activities and the adults had fun getting to know each other and sharing their experiences in the community.
We are very grateful to Aaron for all his hard work in organizing a great day for his customers and their children and particularly for his support of Project Eden.
If you’d like to know more about Treasures of Hope, visit http://treasures-of-hope.com/
If you’d like to know more about Captivating and our projects visit http://www.captivating.org/
Pictured: Top – Ruth and Chumtso Gjit from Project Eden; Middle – Bracelets made by children at Project Eden; Bottom – Tracy from Captivating (centre) with Aaron from TOH (back), staff and Volunteers from Handa and True Childrens home.
December 7, 2011
Project Eden- New Van at Eden
The Parents and children were thrilled at the arrival of their new, 2yr old van two months ago. Thanks to the very generous donations from two of our sponsors, we were able to buy a very good quality second-hand van.
Its had plenty of use already; transporting household goods, bringing children for medical check ups and one of the parents for dental treatment. With the arrival of four more girls from our Captivating project at Qinghai, we now have 17 children at Eden and this van is extremely welcome so that they do not need to depend on public transport for important tasks or an urgent need to get somewhere, like a medical emergency.
We can’t thank you enough for your donations and support in helping to improve the lives and future prospects of the children.
If you’d like to read more about Captivating and project Eden, go to: http://www.captivating.org/blog/category/project-eden/
Pictured: Parents and Children try out their new van; New van at Eden
November 24, 2011
Project Eden-3rd Annual Midnight Charity Race.
If you were in the area of Lian Hua Shan park at 10.30pm Saturday night, then you would have seen a large number of energetic people in beautifully designed blue T-shirts warming up for the 3rd Annual Midnight Charity race. The idea of the race is for runners to get together with old and new friends, and raise money for charity at the same time. Well, there were a lot of new friends this year, with 125 runners taking part! Last year’s event had 52 runners and many were back again to beat their previous race times.
The fundraising goal for this year’s race was 100,000RMB for Captivating Internationals ‘Project Eden’, based in Guangdong Province. This project supports Chinese foster parents who are caring for children from disadvantaged circumstances in a safe and secure environment. Eden is also now home to 9 older girls from Captivating’s program in Qinghai, who are learning Chinese in the local school. You can read more at: http://www.captivating.org/project/details/4
Both the 5k and 10k race kicked off at 11.00pm, eagerly cheered on by supporters and passersby. The atmosphere was electric at the finish line as helpers handed out water to the 10k runners on their first pass through and everyone keen to see the first of the 5k runners come in.
The winner of the 5k women’s event was Claire Taylor (23:05) and Daniel Woslten (25:39) for the men.
The winner of the 10k was Nicolas Rousseau (42:43), second place Patrick Connicker (42:51) and third place Liam Rodden (42:53). The womens 10k winner was Christe Klauberg (48:45), second place Molly McCloskey (52:09) and third place Tasha Van Winkle (52:20).
A lot of runners improved on last years times and even those who walked were nicely surprised with their performance !
A very welcome ‘air-conditioned and free Tsing Tao’ coach waited to take runners and supporters to Rapscallions café and bar, who hosted the prize giving and after race party. Rapscallions donated 10RMB for every Tsing Tao bought and provided great food, a raffle with some special prizes and good fun for the night.
A big THANK YOU to Greg, all the runners, sponsors and helpers for organizing and coming out to raise what ended up being 110,000rmb for a great charity. It was a huge success, so well organized and great fun ! See you all next year.
http://www.shenzhenparty.com/photos/uyu-deg-img-8665jpg
http://www.shenzhen-standard.com/2011/11/15/3rd-annual-midnight-charity-race/
November 1, 2011
The 2011 Seng Girls Vocational School & Home Annual Charity Fundraiser
What an amazing night! Incredible Seng Girls, awesome sponsors and wonderful generosity by our Shenzhen community. We are so thrilled with everything that took place on October 22, and are pleased to share the following news with you.
How did we go? Our 2011 aim has been to raise a total of RMB 2 million for this project (covering annual running costs of the school and home, several construction projects and vocational development). We were banking on our Shenzhen Charity Auction covering 50% of this amount – a goal of RMB1 million.
Total donations for the night came to a grand total of RMB1,009,155. YOU DID IT!!!! The great news is that we now have less than RMB200k to go to meet our annual RMB2million target.
How did this compare to last year’s event? Total donations were up 47% on last year, and with 580 guests attending on the night, there was a 35% increase in attendance. We couldn’t be happier Shenzhen.
I’m sure everyone’s keen to see photos, so apart from this Captivating Blog you can also view photos at the websites of two of our amazing sponsors – Shenzhen Standard and Shenzhen Party. Thank you everyone for taking such wonderful pictures.
Please also keep an eye out for our next issue of Simply Captivating which will have more details and pictures. Once again we want to give huge thanks to our incredible auction committee: Stacey Garretson, Angela Kowalski, Nicole Lewis, April Potterfield, Jeanetta Robinson, Vivian Yuan and of course our wonderful friend, volunteer Project Manager and auction committee chair, Lynn Velez. There are so many more who deserve mention. You know who you are, and we are so exceedingly grateful for all you have done.
What now? We still have RMB200k to raise to meet our RMB2million goal. Here’s how you can still help:
1. VERTICAL MARATHON: Be sure to mark December 10 in your calendar and climb the stairs of the amazing Futian Shangri-La and support the Seng Girls Home at the same time. Contact lynn@captivating.org for more details on this and get your running shoes on.
2. CHILD SPONSORSHIP: We still have many Seng Girls who need sponsors. You can fully sponsor one of these girls for US$80 a month, or half sponsor her for US$40 a month (and we will find another sponsor to do the same). We will update you each year on her progress. To sponsor a child, simply reply to this email and we will contact you.
3. THE INTERNATIONAL COOKBOOK: This is an amazing work of art. RMB280 gets you a copy of this beautiful cook book (English and Chinese). We have copies ready for you NOW. It would make a great gift idea also, so with Christmas just around the corner you’re good to go – and all for a good cause. Thanks to our many incredible cookbook sponsors who covered all preparation and publication costs, 100% of the RMB280 sale price goes to Captivating specifically for the benefit of the Girls Home. To order your copy, email lynn@captivating.org.
Thank you Shenzhen. Feel very very proud of yourselves for making a big difference in the lives of these wonderful Seng Girls.
Andrew & Julie Colquhoun
Founders
CAPTIVATING INTERNATIONAL
September 21, 2011
Project Eden- Children Enjoying Summer Camp
Children, volunteers and sponsors had great fun together in Dongguan during a two day summer camp in August. They had craft activities, played games and had some teaching time on the first day. The next day was spent swimming in the water park and enjoying lunch together. Our thanks to local Dongguan college students for their hard work and for volunteering for this event. It was a fantastic two days that the children thoroughly enjoyed and will not forget it for a long long time.
A Special Thank you to the generous hotel owner (Sofitel Luxury Hotels, Dongguan) and Aaron (Owner of Treasures of Hope, Dongguan) for organizing this event and supporting us so willingly.
If you’d like to know more about Treasures of Hope please visit: http://treasures-of-hope.com/
If you’d like to know more about Project Eden or our other projects visit: http://www.captivating.org/blog/category/project-eden/ or http://www.captivating.org
Pictured: boys playing at the swimming pool, Girls and Boys drawing together, Children and volunteers group picture
September 19, 2011
Captivating loves DISNEY Hong Kong
(Pictured: Gina with other VoluntEAR friends from Disney. Gina is the one standing at the back with her arm around an old friend from the local retirement home they have been helping).
Volunteerism and commitment to community service are an important part of Disney’s culture. Both through the Disney VoluntEARS program and on their own time, Disney employees selflessly give of their time to make communities healthier and the world a better place. Through the ‘EARS To You’ program, Disney employees are given the opportunity to apply for a grant for their favorite charity. The amount of the grant is based on the number of volunteer hours served throughout the year, starting from US$100 up to US$1000 every calendar year.
For the past few years, Gina Lee has worked tirelessly to ensure she earns the maximum Disney grant and nominates CAPTIVATING INTERNATIONAL as her charity of choice. Specifically, she supports our work helping remote villages in rural China break the poverty cycle, and her money has been used to buy plum and walnut saplings for families who need help to get started. Thanks to people like Gina, children of these families now live with hope for a better tomorrow. Thanks Gina, and thanks for great program DISNEY.
August 30, 2011
Our Captivating Village Development Program
March saw the commencement of our 2011 Village Development program. With a focus on introducing high quality grafted Walnut saplings as a sustainable village development initiative, multiple families in Southern Gansu put their hands up to be the first to pilot this initiative. Critical to the success of the walnuts is a successful transition from nursery to the mountainside. Already it is evident that almost all of the saplings survived the transition and we expect many more families will benefit from this program and its training support in the coming months.
In addition, we are excited to announce that discussions have started to establish Captivating as a partner with county governments in Guizhou Province (considered the poorest Province in China). This initiative will evolve our current program into a three year development initiative helping village’s double their income capacity in three years (ending poverty in the process for every village family). The solutions will cover a wider variety of options from orchards, walnuts, animal husbandry and agricultural development. Thank you everyone for supporting our village development initiatives and bringing hope to what is becoming hundreds of families and their children.
August 30, 2011
Captivating MUSHROOMS – an update on our Pilot program
We are part way through our Captivating Mushroom program being piloted just below Russia in Heilongjiang Province. Several of our poorest-of-the-poor families in our Heilongjiang Project 200 initiative are testing to see whether this is a sustainable income generating solution for them. Thanks to the volunteer expertise of one of the local retired school-masters, initial results are positive. The program concludes in October at which point we will know whether it has achieved profitable success. If so, it will be replicated to more families.
Lin Zhi Wei and his family were one of the recipients. They are currently working their 1,250 “bags” of mushrooms supplied by Captivating. The father of this family was badly burned several years ago and has struggled to earn sufficient income ever since. He was extremely motivated to be part of this initial pilot program and the whole family are so enthusiastic about it implementing it to the exact specifications of the training provided. Each bag provides three yields of mushrooms over a two to three month period. The mushrooms are dried by the families then purchased by a mushroom packaging company (or sold by the family at market should they choose).
This pilot program was able to move ahead thanks to a generous Australian family who has underwritten this project and our work in Heilongjiang Province. You too can get involved with Project 200. At this present time we have over 100 children in this program who are still in need of a sponsor. You can see these children at http://captivating.org/selection/sponsor. You can also read our blog on this project and watch a video about Project 200 by clicking here http://www.captivating.org/blog/category/heilongjiang-p200/
(Pictured: Above – Jianjun Bi, Captivating Project Director who oversees this Heilongjiang initiative and is responsible for the pilot project. Right – Phoenix, our on-the-ground support person, oversees this project. Below – sponsored children Hao Yuan Yuan and Li Jia Wei who’s families are also part of the mushrooms program).
August 29, 2011
Sichuan Sapling-Thank you Shenzhen
Our local community here in Shenzhen, China is amazing. In addition to the charity auction, here are some additional highlights.
( Pictured: The European Union Chamber of Commerce (China) held two events in support of Captivating: a fund raising dinner and a family fun-run; Huge thanks to Greg from Amrosia Global Sourcing & Inspection who organized a midnight 10km run in aid of the Sapling Program. SIMPLY AWESOME; The Nan Hai Hotel, as well as the Maillen Club of Shekou are holding quarterly events for their menbers and supporting Captivating in the process. )
August 17, 2011
Project Eden, Guangdong Province – an update
We have been involved with the Gummin’s and this project since we came to China in 2006. This wonderful work exists to help Chinese couples who have a desire to foster children from disadvantaged circumstances give the best possible help they can. Project Eden is one of those small but really significant projects that helps anyone who visits refocus their priorities. It is testament to the fact that the one true success ingredient in this work is LOVE. Not just a bit. But heaps of it. In case you’re wondering, bringing kids together from totally different backgrounds and making a family unit work is not easy. Every day brings a new challenge and just like every family its takes hard work and commitment, but it is inspiring to visit and see the children who were once shy and reserved now smiling and wanting a hug. LOVE glues it all together.
Eden is situated in a beautiful old village setting surrounded by Lychee trees (which will help to raise funds for the families) and a ‘Narnia’ type environment. Recently it has expanded to become a place where some of the girls from the Qinghai SGVTS can live – a homogenous setting to prepare them for mainstream life. Eden aims to fast-track their studies with a specific emphasis on helping them learn intensive Chinese by living in this environment and attending a local Chinese school. We hope this part of Eden’s program will expand even further.
Thank-you to all who have faithfully supported this project.
(Pictured:; Cleaning out the fish pond. It started out well..but then Dale arrived; Lychee trees; Dale welcoming five new Qinghai girls to Eden)
August 9, 2011
COMING SOON: A COOKBOOK benefiting the Seng Girls’ Home and School
Stay tuned for the publication of a special COOKBOOK to be released this fall/autumn. Starting as a simple idea, this publication has become a work of art – full of family favorite recipes to die for. Prepared in both English and Chinese, this will be a great addition to any kitchen. Stay tuned for more details. This has been the result of over 40 volunteers and sponsoring organizations from Shenzhen China. Thanks to their efforts, 100% of the sale proceeds will benefit the Girls Home.
August 9, 2011
The Wonderful Seng Girl’s Vocational Training School & Home (“SGVTS”) Now caring for 120 girls…
This project continues to shine and it is such a joy to partner with and support LOVEQTRA, the Chinese approved agency that started this program. This project is achieving amazing things for girls from the remote Qinghai Province. It operates with the full support of the Qinghai government who has been so supportive of this program from the start.
As of now, the Seng Girls Vocational Training School and Home (SGVTS) is at capacity with 100 girls living and going to school on site. In addition, 20 girls have relocated from the SGVTS to start intensive language schooling or vocational development programs in other areas of China (Beijing, Sichuan, Guangdong). Our desire is to see more girls progressively move away from the SGVTS and join these vocational development initiatives as they are put in place. These programs are all about what is best for the girls. As more girls move to these outside vocational programs, this frees up spaces for new qualifying girls to join the SGVTS. Because of this strategy, today the SGVTS program supports a total of 120 girls.
The SGVTS is a big budget program for Captivating and one that could not continue if it were not for the incredible efforts of donors, child sponsors, and volunteers. Lynn Velez, pictured below, leads this program for Captivating and, along with her growing team of volunteers, are simply AMAZING. October 2010 saw 450 guests dress up in evening wear to support this program. Our annual charity auction is considered to be the biggest foreign “Party of the Year” in Shenzhen. The proceeds from this event, along with child sponsorship and other SGVTS donations make it possible for us to ensure we can meet the operating and development budgets of the SGVTS. Critical to this mix is Whalen Manufacturing Inc and some of its executives (pictured below) and staff. In 2010 Whalen supported a staggering 30% of our total budget, enabling us to achieve everything on our wish list for the SGVTS when combined with all other donors, child sponsors and supporters. Their continuous support and commitment to this project gives all of us the energy and enthusiasm to move aggressively ahead each year. Thank you and everyone for your generosity.
SAVE THE DATE: October 22, 2011 – Our next Charity Auction in Shenzhen.
Be sure to keep up to date with news of this project by following our website blog or following us on our FACEBOOK PAGE (just search ‘Captivating International’).
(Pictured: Lynn receiving special artwork and thanks by Yeshe Tsomo at the Charity Auction; While in Shenzhen, the girls danced and sang for QSI & SIS international schools as well as thrilling guests at the Auction event; “Uncle” Dockpo was the man who started this project in 2005. He come to Shenzhen for the Auction last year with 17 of the girls;
August 9, 2011
Our Qinghai girls singing the cold away
Singing and dancing is something all the girls at the Seng Girls Home enjoy. It may be -20 °C outside, but lots of girls singing together keeps everyone warm. There are now 98 girls living at the home and government licensed Vocational Training School, with another 20 girls supported in various training schools around China. Check out http://www.captivating.org/blog/category/seng-girls-home/ for blog updates on this wonderful project.
June 26, 2011
Project Eden – Local schools donate valuable supplies
Teachers, families and students from QSI in Shekou, Shenzhen filled a van with food, clothing and other necessities and sent it off to Project Eden. With this project growing in numbers, it’s donations like these that make a huge difference to the monthly operating budget. You guys are terrific. Thanks also to SIS Bayside where students ran bake sales and other events to raise money for much needed supplies and gave 20 boxes of clothing. Having both schools involved in supporting this local project is amazing.
June 22, 2011
Project Eden – Learning the art of making jewellery (and a potential future income)
We were thrilled to have Joanne F and family from Shekou, Shenzhen volunteer their time to help our Eden girls learn how to make jewellery. They practiced on a couple of pieces with the plan to sell these at the October charity auction. This is one of the many potential skills these girls can learn to provide options for their futures. Thank you Joanne.
June 22, 2011
Project Eden kids enjoying their new Computer Room
Thanks to generous donors, a technology room was recently established at Project Eden. Desks, furniture and a laptop were supplied by Whalen Manufacturing Inc and Crossroads International supplied desk-top computers and software. More computers will be added over time. This is a dream come true for these kids who now get the chance to learn to type, play computer games 
and learn Chinese and English language.
June 20, 2011
Old People’s Home – Northern China
One of our first programs in China was the establishment of a foster family village in Northern China – a program helping orphaned street children. This was originally called the Beautiful Life Family Center (BLFC). Although this program was concluded in 2009, the building and infrastructure have, as agreed, continued to be used for the benefit of this local community based just below Russia. Today over 50 old people reside in the center who are unable to care for themselves or afford other care alternatives. They are attended to by dedicated center staff (some of who were previous house parents for us) and supported by proceeds from the profitable pig farm we established a few years earlier. We receive monthly reports on the performance of the pig farm, and are pleased to report our current pig herd is at maximum capacity of 500 pigs (thanks to the dedicated work of 50 sows/moms and 2 boars named ‘Kan Du Kenny’, and ‘Here By Choice’). We are pleased to know that our efforts are meeting the needs of the poor in this community.
(pictured: staff feeding residents of the center; pigs enjoying a growth spurt – FYI, a sow produces 2.3 litters of piglets a year, with an average of 20 piglets per year).
June 20, 2011
Seng Girl’s Home Update – June 2011
Read about the wonderful progress being made with this project – now supporting 120 girls. Qinghai SGVTS update June 2011
April 20, 2011
We need child sponsors for kids just below Russia
GOT 3 MINUTES? Check out our latest CAPTIVATING INTERNATIONAL dvd about our work with poorest-of-the-poor children living just below Russia. We have kids here who are desperate for a sponsor. We’d love you to join our Captivating Kids Sponsorship program (if you haven’t already). Click the link at the end of the video for more details, or go straight to our child sponsorship section by going to http://www.captivating.org/selection/sponsor
March 8, 2011
Tyler Colquhoun – son of founders, author, 9yr old
Watch Tyler Colquhoun, 9yr old son of Julie & Andrew, being interviewed by InFocus News Media about life in China, his early success as a published author, and what it’s like living in China and helping the work of Captivating.
March 8, 2011
Captivating’s Sapling program – Southern Gansu, April 2011.
Help us end poverty for the poorest of the poor villages in Southern Gansu. Together we can make it possible for up to 500 families to receive walnut saplings and other cash crops that will enable them to progressively rise above the poverty line. We start planting trees in April 2011 and then again in September. US$200 is all it takes to set a family on their way to a poverty free future. We are 80% on the way to our funding goal, but still need funding for 100 families. Check out this 4 minute DVD for details. If you can help a family, please click this link and donate US$200 to end poverty for an entire family. We’ll keep you updated on how things progress. http://www.captivating.org/region/project/13
February 25, 2011
We are the World – Shekou students and Qinghai girls sing of unity and hope
Captivating International’s Seng Girls Charity Auction in Shenzhen buzzed when students from the two International Schools of Shekou (QSI & SIS) teamed up with 17 visiting girls from Qinghai to sing out a song of unity and hope. The 400+ crowd of supporters and guests were in awe and this song set the tone for an amazing night of generosity in support of 100 girls at LOVEQTRA’s Girl’s Home in Qinghai. Captivating thanks all those who took part in this event, with special thanks to the choir members and Kristin and Melody – choirs leaders from both schools.
January 2, 2011
Julie and Andrew Colquhoun get interviewed by InFocus News Media – Australia.
Meet the Colquhoun’s, founders of Captivating International, as they are interviewed by David Gibbon’s from InFocus News Media, Sydney Australia. Our special thanks to David Gibbons and the InFocus team.
December 23, 2010
Seng Girl’s Home promotion – to the music of Jeremy Hall
Captivating International partner with LOVEQTRA to bring hope and a future to 100 impoverished girls living in remote Qinghai Province, China. Check out why we are so passionate about these girls and this project.
November 20, 2010
Midnight 10k run for Charity – Shenzhen
Shenzhen runners gathered at midnight on November 13 to run 10kms in support of Captivating International and their work in remote regions of Gansu and Sichuan. The event, organized by Amrosia Global Sourcing and Inspection, raised enough funds to set 50 families on their way to a poverty-free future thanks to the planting of 5,000 walnut saplings.
November 4, 2010
Seng Girls Perform at Captivating Charity Auction – Shenzhen Oct 16
Over 400 guests were captivated by several beautifully presented performances by girls from the Seng Girls Vocational Training School and Home.
Visiting Shenzhen to perform at a Charity Auction co-hosted by the Futian Shangri-la and Captivating International, 17 girls from remote Qinghai Province demonstrated to the world that poverty and a difficult upbringing is no barrier to skill, beauty and genuine happiness.
Funds from the night were raised to support the work of LOVEQTRA, a Chinese registered charity of Qinghai, who work with the support of the Chinese government to address the needs of at-risk girls in remote locations of Qinghai.
Captivating International is thrilled to partner with LOVEQTRA bringing hope and a future to 100 girls at this project.
November 4, 2010
The Ultimate “thank-you” speech
Listen to Pema Lhamo from the Seng Girl’s Home give a thank-you speech at the Oct 16 Captivating Seng Girls Charity Auction in Shenzhen. She wowed the audience with superb English.
Two years ago, Pema Lhamo spoke only Tibetan and a little Chinese. Her speech was prepared collectively by many of the girls from the Girls Home. All contributed their thoughts about what they wanted to say to those who help and support them.
This was an absolute highlight and confirms the impact programs like these bring.
October 29, 2010
Why we love being a Captivating Child sponsor
– by Anthony, Fiona & Trinity James
We have been involved behind the scenes with Captivating from day one – but had never taken the step of sponsoring a child. Trinity (pictured) started school this year. They learn Mandarin from kindergarten. As a family we thought there was no better way for her to connect to the language, culture and people than to sponsor a Captivating Child – but what we ended up getting actually feels more like another child in our family.
Trinity summed it up best in her latest letter to Fang “I am very happy to have you as my Chinese sister – I show everyone your picture. I hope that you will write to me and maybe one day we can play together. Big kiss and cuddle – Trinity”.
The joy and excitement of exchanging letters and photos has been a wonderful experience for our 5 year old – Fang has been the subject of several “news days” with other girls at school asking when Fang is coming to visit!
It's great having a sponsor
Trinity with her new sister
Fang writing to Trinity
October 29, 2010
The 2010 Seng Girls Vocational School & Home Annual Charity Fundraiser
What an incredible night! What amazing girls. What generous supporters. Our huge thanks to everyone involved, with special thanks to the organizing committee, donors, and sponsors who made this event possible. Although almost two weeks has passed since the event, we still find ourselves calculating the final results of the night and responding to enquiries from people who want to do more to help. We have been literally quite overwhelmed by it all – it is simply fantastic!
Please take a moment to relive, or enjoy for the first time, the wonderful night in pictures below.
June 17, 2010
Shekou Youth Group Gives Back
100 hand-made bed sheets for 100 Qinghai girls
As planned, the SGVTS has grown and now houses 90 girls. One of the needs for the Seng Girls Home was to provide these beautiful girls with a place to lay their heads at night. Thanks to the LDS Young Women’s Group in Shekou, China, the girls now have handmade bedding. This youth group consists of girls ranging in age from 13-16 who can relate to how wonderful it is to have pretty bedding to sleep on at night. The youth group went to the local fabric market and picked out all the materials needed to create 100 sets of sheets. They cut and sewed each one by hand. This truly is a project created out of love!
June 16, 2010
GOAL: 1,000 children on their way to a poverty free future
We can start 1,000 children on their way to a poverty free future…can you help?
Following the success of our poverty reduction program in the earthquake damaged remote region of Sichuan Province, China, 500 children are now on their journey towards a poverty-free future thanks to ongoing income that will come from their very own Walnut Plantations.
Now we have MANY MORE VILLAGES asking for our help. So, we have set a bold target for our next planting season (Jan-Mar 2011) to end poverty for 1,000 children and their families. We’d love to hear your ideas on how we can make this happen?
The Need:
500 families are asking for our help. It only costs US$200 to supply 100 walnut saplings to each family – enough to end poverty for this family in the future. This investment also includes 5 years of training and technical support to ensure best yields in the future.
This can be achieved as follows:
- 2 organizations to each sponsor 100 families ($20,000).
- 2 groups/clubs to each sponsor 50 families ($10,000)
- 3 people to each sponsor 25 families ($5,000)
- 5 people to each sponsor 10 families ($2,000)
- 10 people to each sponsor 5 families ($1,000)
- 25 people to each sponsor 1 family ($200)
We will be updating our website with this project shortly, and you will find a further promo in our latest newsletter. But, we’re interested in any thoughts you might have on how we might fund-raise for this. We would love to hear from you!
June 10, 2010
Captivating enters the Blog World
In an effort to keep you up-to-date with our latest developments, be sure to follow us on either Facebook, Twitter or our blog.