A LETTER TO THE MAYOR OF XIAOYI CITY

Respectful Mayor Yongchang Ren,

We, the Phelex Foundation hereby send greetings to you, warm-hearted volunteers, the aided teachers, pupil parents and villagers in Xiaoyi area. We are grateful that you cooperated with the PF as partners and displayed the loyalty to the program, the initiative and the sense of responsibility during the program implementation over the past two years. Owing to the above, the PF smoothly developed the tuition aid program that was carried out at Xixinbi Elementary School of Baibeiguan Town and Chengeduo Elementary School of Ducun Town in Xiaoyi city in the winter of 1997 and aimed at helping needy pupils to gain long-time tuition assistance from program earnings.

In Feb. 1997, recommended by the editorial department of <<Elementary School's Nature Teaching>> in Hubei , the PF staff found Teacher in Nature Yuxi Du and investigated 6 rural elementary schools in Xiaoyi area under the guidance of Teacher Yuxi Du.

In Jan. 1998, the PF listed Xixinbi Elementary School and Chengeduo Elementary School into the tuition aid plan. In the same time the PF released related materials about the poverty-resistant and farming tuition aid action from teachers and pupils of Xixinbi Elementary School on the American-printed ‘PF News' and the PF web pages on the Internet. A number of kind-hearted persons started to pay attention on Xixinbi and put into action. An American gentleman expressed his wish to donate the desks from his own school to Chengeduo Elementary School . More people are visiting the PF website and paying close attention on the rural school - Xixinbi Elementary School that is needy but vigorous, and located on the losses plateau.

In May 1998, after close demonstration the PF made the first appropriation of ?15000 Yuan to Xixinbi Elementary School for setting up the breeding pigeon farm and developing the pigeon industry so that needy teachers and pupils learnt how to respond to poverty and problems during management and making use of resources

In Jun. 1998, the PF allocated desks to Xixinbi Elementary School and changed the situation that children studied on earth buttresses. Local volunteers showed their great enthusiasm in the program. Local village committee contributed materials and labor. Local individuals and units contributed ?4150 Yuan at no cost. Pupils and teachers participated the construction at no cost. The “Pigeon Industry Limited” in the city provided breeding pigeons, techniques and sale market. In the autumn of 1998, the school gained an income of ?2000 Yuan and funded 22 needy children. It estimated the program net income would reach ?11250 Yuan in the autumn of 1999, plan to support 57 needy pupils. The program plans to benefit 70% pupils. We are very sorry that the program was forced to stop because of man-made accident. We hope local government help to solve the case and bring the pigeon theft to justice as early as possible, and compensate for teachers and pupils' labor. The PF donated ?15000 Yuan for setting up “PF/Yanping Li Tuition Aid Fund” to support needy children successively and thank to the domestic donor, Ms. Yanping Li's caring heart and selfless action. The PF is eagerly expecting the cooperation between local government and villagers. We suggest that local government raise ?8000-10000 Yuan, local villagers raise ?2000 Yuan, ?25000 Yuan or ?27000 Yuan in total to establish the second-year tuition aid fund for needy pupils, recover the program production on possible circumstances and make pigeons back to Xixinbi .The PF will release latest follow-up report about the Xiaoyi Program and latest contributions from cooperators and volunteers in Xiaoyi area on the PF's website on the Internet.

We are expecting the support and cooperation for you and your administration.

We are looking forward to the reply from you.

Best Regards!

Yours Sincerely,

Phelex Foundation