Moutai supports students, aims to improve society

Representatives attend Kweichow Moutai's story-sharing conference held on Tuesday. CHINA DAILY

Welfare program has donated over 1.1 billion yuan since 2012 launch

Kweichow Moutai has joined hands with Chinese public welfare organizations to bring financial support to students in need. Their efforts were showcased at a story-sharing conference held on Tuesday.

The event gathered 30 representative students who received support from the company and then fulfilled their pursuits through studies. With inspiring life experiences and encouraging achievements, they were honored as "pillars of the country".

Kweichow Moutai initiated Moutai's Hope Project for Dream Realization with the China Youth Development Foundation in 2012 and has since donated a total of 1.1 billion yuan ($151.8 million). Their efforts have helped 214,500 students from poor families realize their dreams, covering more than 2,700 counties across the country.

At the event, the two groups also launched the outline of 2022 Moutai's Hope Project for Dream Realization. Kweichow Moutai donated a check worth 100 million yuan to the China Youth Development Foundation.

Echoing China's poverty alleviation action, the project is putting more investment in the remote areas.

Of the 20,000 students involved in the project in 2019, 1,109 came from 190 typical poverty-stricken counties designated by the country.

Representative students give speeches during the event. CHINA DAILY

Ding Xiongjun, head of Kweichow Moutai, noted the significance of corporate social responsibility for State-owned enterprises. He said the younger generation is the foundation of a country and that the company will continue its effort to cultivate young talents and help the country to thrive.

"Creating a better life and promoting common prosperity illustrate Moutai's understanding about social responsibility," Ding said. "Such concepts will inspire Moutai to bring the benefit of high-quality development equally to the people."

The experience of Moutai representative students shared on the stage displayed how they strived to realize their dreams and served society over the past decade.

Among them, young scientific and technological workers have overcome bottleneck research projects, young teachers have devoted themselves to rural education, soldiers have engaged in defending the country, and medical and nursing workers have fought for people's health amid the COVID-19 pandemic. They have a common name — Moutai students.

"When night falls at the places under the tilted buildings on the high ridge, a curl of kitchen smoke rises. Singing is heard from the drum tower. We pass on our history and culture of the ethnic group through songs," said Shi Xian, a representative Moutai student.

As the inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, Shi's destiny collapsed in the year of the college entrance examination. Because of her father's sudden death, she almost missed the opportunity to attend university, which made her almost miss the opportunity for university.

Fortunately, with the help of public welfare assistance, she seized the hope to complete her studies.

When she graduated from the university, she returned to her hometown and devoted herself to the traditional Miao embroidery with great enthusiasm, and brought wealth to surrounding families.

"Ten years ago, with the help of the Hope Project, I went out from the mountain and saw the flame for hope. And now, I became something like the Hope Project and started to bring the flame to more people," Shi said at the event.

Kweichow Moutai initiates the Moutai's Hope Project for Dream Realization with the China Youth Development Foundation in 2012 and has since donated a total of 1.1 billion yuan. CHINA DAILY

Similar to Shi's experience, Liu Xiuxiang, vice-principal of a high school in Wangmo county, Guizhou province, also returned to his hometown after finishing his studies. In 2008, he became famous for carrying his ailing mother to the university.

Liu lost his father at a young age and his mother was unable to take care of herself because of her illness. Since then, he went to school while taking care of his mother.

Because of this hardship, he returned to his hometown and engaged in education.

He initiated the Action of Assisting Students in the Countryside and tried his best to persuade those students to continue their education. With his help, more than 1,800 children returned to school.

"Let me become a dream builder of the children living in the deep mountains," Liu said, adding that he hopes to gather more welfare forces to let more children enjoy a better future.

Liao Yonghui, a graduate student of Guizhou Medical University, is another representative case of the project. In her opinion, the road of her study experience is filled with suffering and happiness. Because of the sudden changes, her family became saddled with huge debts worth 400,000 yuan ($56,338).

During that dark time, the idea of dropping out of school was growing in her mind but her family strongly opposed it.

Fortunately, she received financial support from Moutai and became a Moutai student. During her undergraduate and postgraduate periods, she made the laboratory her home, staying there for nearly 20 hours per day.

Her grandfather working in the school's reception room couldn't help but to tell her to take care of her health.

"Only by studying hard can I repay my family, friends, teachers and people from all walks of life who have supported me," Liao said at the event.

In this regard, Chen Jinyu, manager of the Shanghai office of Moutai Wine, has a deep understanding due to his similar experience.

His hardship began at very early age. Because he lost his parents when he was young, Chen sold waste and garbage with his grandmother for living. Every time he saw other children at the same age carrying schoolbags for classes, he admired them.

With the support of the Hope Project, he finally became able to go to school. When he was admitted to the university after a few years, he received support and became a Moutai student.

He spent his vacations working for the intern program of Moutai Group and accepted the job position in most needed areas after he was admitted by the company.

"I will, as always, take the initiative to do something that contributes to others and society," Chen said. "I will use my hardworking hands to create a better future for myself and all of us."

In addition to financial support, Moutai explored ways to help students by providing a series of development services such as internships, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Fu Zhenbang, secretary of the Secretariat of the Communist Youth League Central Committee attended the event and delivered a speech, noting that the project initiated by Moutai is valuable and meaningful.

Moutai's Hope Project for Dream Realization showcased the responsibility and charity of Moutai and will become a bright case in the nation's action for charity in the new era, Fu said.

In 2021, the project took the initiative in bringing the achievements of poverty alleviation to the rural vitalization areas. In addition to the one-time funding, it is practicing a pilot project in 11 provincial colleges and universities, such as Guizhou University, Guizhou Normal University and Guizhou Medical University, to support students who are studying in urgently needed majors according to the rural vitalization strategy.

After 11 years' practice, Moutai's Hope Project for Dream Realization has become an exemplary public welfare brand project with large amounts of contributions, a wide range of beneficiaries and in-depth cooperation with social organizations, said Guo Meijian, chairman of the China Youth Development Foundation.

In addition to education efforts, the company will invest 50 million yuan each year to protect the green waters and green mountains in the Chishui River basin and participate in public welfare activities such as donating money to schools, helping people find jobs and facilitating life for the weak and poor.

It set up Moutai College to provide featured professional courses to cultivate high-level young talents. It also cooperated with social organizations and universities to carry out Red education and featured education.

Attempting to win the battle against poverty, vitalize the countryside economy and implement the strategy of rejuvenating the country through science and education, the company is providing public welfare support in the fields of pandemic prevention and control, earthquake relief, construction after flood and emergency rescue.

"Social responsibility is the gene of State-owned enterprises. Moutai will unswervingly fulfill its responsibility and help families share a better life," Ding said, adding that Moutai is taking action to create a better life and promoting common prosperity as a core part in realizing social responsibility, so that the high-quality development can reach more people and better contribute to the development of socialist modernization.