A charity campaign was launched among pupils and students in Luohu District on Friday, the Daily Sunshine reported.

Pupils and students who donated 100 yuan (US$12) to support a child from poverty-stricken families in Heyuan City, would be eligible for up to 10,000 yuan medical allowance, the campaign organizers said.

More than 60,000 students in Luohu District were given a piggy bank and were encouraged to save up their pocket money to help poor children.

Liu Weiqiang, vice secretary general of China's health and poverty relief project, said the non-profit medical insurance system in China did not cover peasants and children from less prosperous areas.

Wealthy families could afford health insurance, while peasants and children from poor areas could not, Liu said. Traditional public donations did not help much with the needy, he added.

The idea of the campaign was to establish a special fund for children in need by encouraging pupils and students to save their pocket money, said officials from the Luohu District Government, who are also the co-organizers.

Meanwhile, Shenzhen also joined a one-yuan donation program launched by the China Charity Federation last week.

On Wednesday, the Shenzhen Charity Community began placing 1,000 collection boxes at office buildings, hotels, restaurants and residential buildings, the Shenzhen Economic Daily reported.

The collection boxes also provide shoe polish free of charge. The campaign calls on people to donate at least one yuan.

Shenzhen is the fourth city to join the campaign along with Beijing, Tianjin and Guangzhou.

The money collected will be used for medical care and educational aids for the needy and to help the unemployed gain employment.

It is the first major campaign by the Shenzhen Charity Community since it was established in late November. The community plans to distribute a total of 12,000 collection boxes over the next two years.

The community will later hire laid-off workers to maintain the boxes. Its Web site, www.4343.net, will publish reports on how the money is being used. Members of the public can e-mail xyz@4343.net for suggestions.

(Shenzhen Daily December 14, 2004)