Christian Education, Development and Relief (CEDAR) Fund

To relieve poverty and suffering and to promote measures of health among the most needy peoples, to reach sustainable development.

CEDAR Fund was established in Hong Kong in 1991 to provide a channel for Hong Kong Christians ‘to fulfill their duty to care for the poor.’ That year, it joined in emergency relief efforts for flood victims in East China. Since then, the Fund has gone on to support more than 60 projects in 15 developing countries.In China, the Fund both makes grants for projects carried out by other international and local organisations, and also implements projects itself in collaboration with local government agencies. International partners have included Project Grace who have received support for a village doctor training programme, in Yunnan’s Xishuangbanna Prefecture, including community healthcare activities in the Kunge (昆格) and Mengla (勐腊區); and Evergreen Family Friendship Services (永青社), which has received support for a ‘Healthy Baby/Prenatal Care Programme and Family Medicine Training’ in Shanxi Province. Local partners have included Sichuan’s Holy Love Foundation (圣爱基金会), which provides services for disabled children and their families.

CEDAR also funds and/or implements projects in water and sanitation, HIV/AIDS prevention and rural/community development. In Gansu Province, it supports women’s literacy classes and a revolving loan fund in Lanzhou, and an income generation program in Pingliang County. In 2000, following visits to some of the most remote and poorest villages in Hubei and Bulang minority areas of Yunnan, the Fund established three-year integrated community development projects in the two provinces, in co-operation with the local governments.

From 2011, CEDAR started to work with schools in Xuanhan county of Sichuan province to organise disaster prevention and basic health and sanitation workshops and training. It is aimed to assist the teachers to identify risks in their schools and communities, plan emergency evacuation drills and effectively pass on the disaster prevention knowledge. The project also subsidizes a number of schools to improve their safety facilities.

Another current CEDAR project includes an organic farming project to promote farming aiming to change the agricultural practices of the farmers. At the current pilot stage, a demonstration farm will be set up in the outskirts of Wuhan City to demonstrate the profitability of organic farming, promote employing of organic farming methods through inviting farmers to visit, and mobilise farmers from villages to adopt organic farming methods.

 CEDAR Fund is funded primarily by donations from Hong Kong Christians and church, but also sometimes channels funds from other private international agencies.