For the Girls (EGRC)
Donation protected
~ FOR THE GIRLS
~
For those of you who have seen me run… you may find the thought of me doing a marathon (let alone one up the stairs of the Great Wall of China) to be pretty laughable. However, after managing to survive a half-marathon in Myanmar last year, I’ve started training...and the struggle is real. Particularly in Beijing, where the air quality sometimes means that one can only train indoors, on a treadmill, next to an air purifier… I felt I needed some more motivation. Last year, supported by the Westpac Bicenntennial Foundation for Asian Exchange, I spent ten days in Guizhou running a Summer English program with a group of girls from Educating Girls of Rural China (EGRC). I want to dedicate my run to the girls and hopefully raise some funds to continue to support the life-changing mission of this charity.


When people think about China, they might often think to the industry and city lights of Beijing and Shanghai, overlooking the enormity and diversity of the nation. Having visited both Gansu and Guizhou, two of the most rural and developing areas of China, I am passionate about sharing the stories of the girls from these places who have completely defied the odds…
- China’s household registration or hukou system limits the migration of citizens from rural to urban areas;
- One of the only ways an individual can change their social status to receive access to jobs, health care and education in another province is to be accepted into a university there;
- The gaokao is an infamous entrance examination sat by all final year school students in China (more than 9 million last year);
- The weighting of results in this test also creates serious challenges for those in the rural areas seeking higher education.
My intention isn’t to judge these social systems but rather to highlight them and emphasise why Educating Girls of Rural China is so important. EGRC identifies young women from rural China who are particularly capable but particularly disadvantaged. EGRC not only funds their education but provides support networks and mentoring programs to help these girls on their journey. At the end of the day however, the girls do the work to change their futures and their families’.

EGRC believes that ‘educated women, have educated children’ which will allow for better development and more equality in China.
Whether you donate out of pity, because I probably really don’t know what I’m getting myself into running 42km up and down the stairs of the Great Wall ...or because you can see this is an awesome cause, every amount counts!!
1000 USD affords one girl a year of tuition and living expenses. For more information on EGRC – here is their website and a short video that I’d really encourage everyone to watch! Also feel free to contact me with any questions and I'll be providing further details in the lead up to the run on 20 May.
For those of you who have seen me run… you may find the thought of me doing a marathon (let alone one up the stairs of the Great Wall of China) to be pretty laughable. However, after managing to survive a half-marathon in Myanmar last year, I’ve started training...and the struggle is real. Particularly in Beijing, where the air quality sometimes means that one can only train indoors, on a treadmill, next to an air purifier… I felt I needed some more motivation. Last year, supported by the Westpac Bicenntennial Foundation for Asian Exchange, I spent ten days in Guizhou running a Summer English program with a group of girls from Educating Girls of Rural China (EGRC). I want to dedicate my run to the girls and hopefully raise some funds to continue to support the life-changing mission of this charity.


When people think about China, they might often think to the industry and city lights of Beijing and Shanghai, overlooking the enormity and diversity of the nation. Having visited both Gansu and Guizhou, two of the most rural and developing areas of China, I am passionate about sharing the stories of the girls from these places who have completely defied the odds…- China’s household registration or hukou system limits the migration of citizens from rural to urban areas;
- One of the only ways an individual can change their social status to receive access to jobs, health care and education in another province is to be accepted into a university there;
- The gaokao is an infamous entrance examination sat by all final year school students in China (more than 9 million last year);
- The weighting of results in this test also creates serious challenges for those in the rural areas seeking higher education.
My intention isn’t to judge these social systems but rather to highlight them and emphasise why Educating Girls of Rural China is so important. EGRC identifies young women from rural China who are particularly capable but particularly disadvantaged. EGRC not only funds their education but provides support networks and mentoring programs to help these girls on their journey. At the end of the day however, the girls do the work to change their futures and their families’.

EGRC believes that ‘educated women, have educated children’ which will allow for better development and more equality in China.
Whether you donate out of pity, because I probably really don’t know what I’m getting myself into running 42km up and down the stairs of the Great Wall ...or because you can see this is an awesome cause, every amount counts!!1000 USD affords one girl a year of tuition and living expenses. For more information on EGRC – here is their website and a short video that I’d really encourage everyone to watch! Also feel free to contact me with any questions and I'll be providing further details in the lead up to the run on 20 May.
Organizer
Josephine Macmillan
Organizer
Petrie Terrace QLD
