Organizers of a program for children who have lost
one or both parents to AIDS said in a Xinhua News Agency report
today that hotels and other businesses have been keen to be
involved this year, in stark contrast to last year.
When the China Youth Concern Committee (CYCC), the
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) and UNICEF
organized the first summer camp in 2004 it took them two months to
secure accommodation for the children, according to CYCC official
Li Qimin.
Nearly 40 hotels and other institutions in the
capital refused them. Their owners thought their stay might
negatively affect their business despite the fact that, not only
would they have nothing to fear from people with HIV/AIDS, but none
of the children were HIV positive anyway.
This year, the CYCC and Beijing Huaxia Charity
Foundation found that, not only did hotels offer them preferential
prices, but tourist spots they intended to visit exempted them from
entrance fees, said Li.
From August 12 to 17, 86 children from around China
will be taken to sights including the Great Wall, the Imperial
Palace (the Forbidden City) and Tiananmen Square, as well as
spending two days with local families.
"After we publicized our search for families to
take them in for two days, we received more than 270 applications,
which was really a surprise," said Li Guoqiang, another CYCC
official.
The volunteers include movie stars, high ranking
officials, retirees, teachers, entrepreneurs and army soldiers, he
said, "revealing an encouraging strength in society to take care of
the children of AIDS victims."
An estimated 76,000 children in China have lost at
least one parent to AIDS, according to the CDCP, and their numbers
could grow to 260,000 by 2010.
Experts said they suffer similar prejudice and
discrimination as people with HIV/AIDS, some having been kicked out
of schools or even turned away from orphanages.
The CYCC is a governmental organization, while
Beijing Huaxia Charity Foundation is a non-governmental body.
(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2005)