According to the 1997 official statistics of the Chinese Government, over 80% of the 1.2 billion people in China live in rural areas. Recently, the government designated 592 counties as impoverished. An estimated 80 million residents from these counties only earn US$36 per year. In the summer of 2001, HOPE worldwide launched the programme. Our goal is to help the students from Yunnan, Shaanxi and Hunan provinces to go back to school, to be their friends, and to support them with care and encouragement as they face challenges in life . The students will receive at least 2 years of educational sponsorship. Through exchanging letters, the sponsors may become the children's pen pals, even being their mentors when they face important decisions in their lives. We will also provide opportunities for the sponsors to visit the students supported by the program and to be volunteers at their schools. There are at least one million children waiting for your help. By helping today's disadvantaged children, we are building a brighter future for the greater China.