'China Youth Daily' and the 'Post' launch New Year donation drive

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

On the occasion of the Spring Festival (Lunar New Year) in China, one of that country's leading newspapers, the China Youth Daily, and The Jakarta Post have launched a joint fund-raising campaign using text messages in cooperation with the TOM website and the China Children's and Teenagers' Fund for Tsunami Orphans, the China Youth Daily's legal affairs editor, Yang Liangqing, announced in Beijing recently.

Chinese people can participate by sending text messages to orphans in the tsunami-affected areas and donating 1 yuan (12 U.S. cents) to them.

"Participants can send number 1 to 8858 (similar sound to the Chinese words "Help Me") and contribute 1 yuan to them. Please let those children (orphans) feel the human touch when they long for the embrace of their mothers. One can send best wishes to 8858," Yang said.

Between Jan. 19 and Feb. 6, the sponsors received 720,000 yuan as well as 36,000 greeting messages. These figures may increase significantly on and after the Chinese Lunar New Year, which fell on Wednesday.

All the donations will be handed over to the Chinese Red Cross Federation and then will be given directly to the tsunami victims.

Here are some selected text messages received by the sponsors of the program: * Happy New Year! All the older people around the world are our own parents, and all the babies on the earth are our own children. No matter how bad life can be, have faith in this world. -- 139****4331 * Nations have borders while love is boundless. We are all together to build a beautiful home. -- 138****1817 * I am an ordinary person. All I want to do is something ordinary to help you find hope in ordinary life. 135****2221 * We are there for you! Happy New Year! -- 139****0340 * Act strong! The nightmare is gone. There's a beautiful dawn waiting for you. -- 136****1302 * Grow up in love, and hold love as a grown-up. I don't have babies, but all the children around the world are my babies. Love has the eternal continuity. -- 139****4331