The SHKP-Kwoks’ Foundation has once again worked with the local government of Dingxi, Gansu, an extreme poverty area in the country, after the successful completion of piping in drinking water for local farming families. The SHKP-Kwoks’ Foundation has provided funding of RMB300,000 to install solar-powered street lights in several villages, benefitting 700 local families and their future generations, allowing residents to go out safely at night.

The Nagu, Liujiahe and Chatao villages are at 2,300 –2,700 metres above sea level, located in Puma township in Min county, one of the national-level poverty-stricken counties. Before the solar-powered street lights were installed, the local residents would get hurt easily if they went out after sunset without bringing any fire torches or flashlights. It was also risky for primary school students to go to school in the dark at winter dawns.

The solar-powered street light installation work was completed recently. SHKP-Kwoks’ Foundation Executive Director Amy Kwok said she was pleased that the project had a positive impact on people’s livelihood in Gansu. Over the years, the SHKP-Kwoks’ Foundation is committed to alleviating poverty in Gansu by developing different projects, which have achieved successful results, including English lessons for the officials, secondary school scholarship programmes, piping in drinking water, and the recent solar-powered street light installation.

The Head of the Women’s Commission of the Chatao village said that the lights made it convenient for residents to go out at night and enhanced the living conditions of the village. The widely acclaimed ‘Light Movement’ has motivated other poor neighbouring rural villages to install street lights and fight against poverty.

Since its establishment nearly two decades ago, the SHKP-Kwoks' Foundation has created and sponsored more than 70 projects, benefitting over 60,000 people from over 25 provinces and cities across the country.