2008 Rainbow Missions' Accomplishments in China and in US
by Peter Wong - Cofounder of Rainbow Missions

1. Chongqing

Chongqing School for the Blind – helped find a donor for a bus. Continued to sponsor 50 students to continue schooling. Continued to use Skype to connect with students to encourage them. Sent a voluntary English teacher to teach them for a month. Sent a team of volunteers in December to run a children program. Designed a keyboard learning software for the blind in China.

Chongqing Normal University Special Education School – sent a team to teach the deaf students English in December. Exchanged information on how to work with deaf students and how to counsel individuals with disability.

Children Development Center (an education center for children with cognitive impairment, part of Normal University) – joined the students, parents and teachers to celebrate New Year 2009.

Chongqing Post and Telecom University - together with this university, we launched the third Wong Ho Hung Innovative Assistive Technology Award. There were 26 entries in 2008, compared with less than 10 the previous year.

2. Chengdu

Holy Love Special Education School (a privately owned special education school for children with cognitive impairment, and a few children with cerebral palsy) – sent a social worker to give a talk to encourage the teachers in December.

3. Nanning

Angel House (privately owned rehabilitation and education center for children with cerebral palsy (CP) and autism) - sent two full time workers to help them with management consultancy and children work. Acquired loans for them to buy a new property for school premise. Sponsored a CP kid to continue her rehab and education. Sent a short term team to teach special education topics, run children program and do home visits.

4. Hong Kong

The Hong Kong branch obtained non-profit tax status. They continued to mobilize people in Hong Kong to join short term trips and sponsor the kids in Nanning.

5. Guangzhou

Provided phone counseling for a girl with cancer.

6. Beijing

Provided management consultancy for a flower shop that hires disabled people. Provided self image training for university students with disability.

7. Sichuan Earthquake Zone

Since the earthquake in May 12, we sent three teams there to provide medical and other relief supplies, run children program, teach in temporary schools and provide counseling for adults and children.

8. Seattle, Rainbow Missions' Headquarter

We held two major awareness events, with over 1,000 total attendees. We continued to mobilize people to do service work with us in China.

9. Other Accomplishments

• Over 100 hours of phone counseling.
  
• Presented six Braille typewriters to Chongqing School for the Blind.
  
• Christmas party celebrations, offered gifts and encouragements to disabled children (headcount of over 250), as well as parents, volunteers and teachers (another 250).
  
• Professional training for teachers, university students and parents (headcount of over 700).
  
• Cross-cultural training for disabled children (headcount of over 400).
  
• Assisted special education teachers in the classrooms, took kids to outside-school activities, home visitations, etc.
  
• Contributed a total working volunteer hours of over 2,500.
  
• Recruited work for three disabled students.