Baxter Awarded for Expanding Access to Care and Education in Rural China
Baxter Awarded for Expanding Access to Care and Education in Rural China
Baxter China was recently recognized for its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs designed to expand access to healthcare and education at the 5th China Charity Festival. The B-CEDAR Program won the Best CSR Program of the Year award at the Festival, while Baxter itself was recognized as the Most Responsible Brand of the Year. This was the fourth consecutive year that Baxter China has been recognized at the Festival, which was established to promote the charitable giving and honor individuals and organizations that have made outstanding philanthropic contributions.
Launched jointly with the Shanghai Cedar Youth Career Skills Development Center and the Xingjia Center in 2014, the B-CEDAR Program aims to help university students from rural areas integrate into city life and improve their career prospects and competitive position through tutoring, coaching, lectures, and company visits. The program has been successfully implemented for two seasons and nearly 100 Baxter employees have contributed more than 1,900 hours as volunteer tutors across 10 cities.
“For nearly three decades, Baxter has been committed to expanding access to healthcare and education in China. The B-CEDAR project is an excellent example of how we are improving the lives of those who grew up in underprivileged circumstances,” said Shirley Xu, Region Head, Greater China. “Being recognized once again by China Charity Festival for our CSR efforts inspires and motivates us to move forward and continue to make meaningful contributions to the communities we serve in China.”
In addition to improving overall qualifications for students in the job market, the B-CEDAR program advocates the “exponential relay of charity,” encouraging the recipient students to perform charitable deeds of their own and give back to society by serving as volunteers. Guided by this philosophy, 114 Shanghai-based students have joined the NGO Xingjia to provide one year of free private tutoring service for children from families with difficulties.
In addition to the B-CEDAR Program, other CSR initiatives launched by Baxter China include the Baxter Hope School program, which provides funding for five Hope schools and one Hope kindergarten in poverty-stricken areas across Sichuan, Yunnan, and Henan provinces. Supported and organized by the company, nearly 300 employees have personally trekked to the Hope schools to serve as volunteers since the program’s inception in 2006. Baxter is also collaborating with Enactus China to provide support for university students to make positive changes in their communities through entrepreneurial practices.
