China will send more young volunteers abroad this year than it
has since 2002 when the first group ventured out.
Some 200 volunteers will be sent to developing countries in
Asia, Africa and, for the first time, to Latin America.
"Since the first batch of five went to Myanmar in 2002, we have
sent a total of 109 volunteers to Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and
Ethiopia," Wang Xuefeng, an official with the Central Committee of
the Communist Youth League of China, said at a press conference in
Beijing yesterday.
The volunteers provide services such as Chinese language
lessons, computer skills and agricultural technologies training, as
well as sports training and traditional Chinese medicine
treatment.
Their hard work has so impressed these countries that they have
asked for more volunteers, Wang said. "Ethiopia alone asked us to
send volunteers for more than 300 positions this year. They need in
excess of 1, 000 volunteers."
The Ministry of Commerce, which has been in charge of the
program since last year, said the first batch of about 100 would
head for Laos before the end of the month, and 60 for Ethiopia next
month.
Recruitment for the Ethiopia project is scheduled to start
today. "Chinese citizens between the ages of 20 and 35 with a
college diploma and above are all welcome to sign up at
hwfw.youth.cn," Wang announced.
"This year we will also send volunteers to Cambodia, and
Zimbabwe, and Guyana for the first time," said Sai Danxia, an
official with the ministry.
The ministry covers travel expenses, pays a monthly allowance of
US$200 and provides medical and accident insurance.
(China Daily September 6, 2006)