Since the beginning of the 2015 school year, in Qingshen, in the Sichuan Province (a poor region in the southwest of China), the Dream Up programme has been supporting the Taipei Ricci Institute. Thanks to this collaboration, over 300 children between 7 and 12 years old from underprivileged backgrounds, and who are sent to three rural schools from the area, have been regularly practicing dance, music, and painting.
Most of these children have seen their parents forced to move to large cities such as Shanghai and Sichuan due to economic reasons. Because of this lack of financial means, these children often can’t accompany their families and stay isolated. They are thus entrusted to different host families. Regularly practicing an artistic activity helps reducing their social fragility, brings them happiness, and allows them to become aware of their artistic talents.
BNP Paribas in China also participates in this educational and cultural programme by funding scholarships for these left-behind children. From the start of the 2018 school year, Dream Up will expand to new countries around the world, with new projects in Africa, the Americas, and Asia. You will find out all about them soon!