Students read books at an Ankang Library. [CCTF]

After the new school term started (in February), the China Children and Teenagers' Fund (CCTF, under the All-China Women's Federation) held a ceremony to announce the establishment of an Ankang Library in both Helan's Third Middle School and Yongning's Yuquanying Primary School. Helan and Yongning are counties in Yinchuan, capital of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The event was held in Helan's Third Middle School. 

The CCTF solicited donations to help the schools set up the libraries. The CCTF also offered the schools a combined 15,960 books, and various equipment (in the libraries), including book shelves, tables and chairs. 

The CCTF initiated the Ankang Library Project in March 2008. The purpose of the project is to improve children's learning environment in rural communities and schools, through donations of books and the building of libraries. By the end of 2023, 683 libraries had been built, and they had made nearly 5 million books accessible to children. 

Liu Hongmei, President of Yinchuan Women's Federation, and leaders of local education departments and women's federations distributed books among the schools' students. The leaders encouraged the children to read books, so they could absorb the "nutritious substances" in books. Liu told media the federations would make greater efforts to encourage parents to read with their children. 

The heads of the schools noted CCTF's book donation is a loving gesture to warm the children's hearts. More importantly, they stressed, reading will help promote cultural inheritance among children. To ensure the Ankang Libraries play greater roles in creating a favorable environment to foster children's healthy growth and development, the schools will conduct various activities to spark students' interest in reading, and to help the children form good reading habits.

(Women of China English Monthly April 2024)