Rural development funds improve lives nationwide

The China Foundation for Rural Development received donations totaling 1.127 billion yuan ($155 million) and spent 1.145 billion yuan on public welfare projects in 2024, benefiting 7.44 million people across the country, according to its newly released annual report.

More than 48,300 volunteers participated in the foundation's charitable services last year, which focused on rural industry development, talent cultivation, infrastructure improvement, social services, and civic engagement, the report said.

Social services related to rural children, education, and healthcare accounted for nearly 40 percent of all donations and about 37 percent of expenditures. Long-term programs, such as the Love Package Project, have been operating for more than a decade. New initiatives were launched last year to promote rural science education and support grassroots football development.

The foundation allocated 144 million yuan to rural industry development projects in 2024, aiming to upgrade the sector and raise farmers' incomes. Donations for a mechanized agriculture program surged from 1.43 million yuan in 2023 to more than 40 million yuan last year, benefiting nearly 6,000 farming households across 10 counties nationwide.

To improve living conditions and environmental sustainability in rural areas, the foundation spent 366 million yuan last year on infrastructure and disaster mitigation projects, addressing issues such as sanitation, ecological restoration, and disaster risk reduction.

The foundation also expanded its international outreach by implementing aid and development programs in 10 countries, including Myanmar, Nepal, Ethiopia, Burundi, and Pakistan. More than 320,000 people benefited from the programs, which involved more than 52 million yuan in funding.

By the end of 2024, the foundation had raised a cumulative 12.84 billion yuan in donations and in-kind contributions since its establishment, benefiting more than 80.59 million people in China and about 2.56 million in over 30 countries and regions, the report said.