01/07/2025
尊敬的海外中国教育基金会捐款人和义工朋友，您好！
在过去几年相继撤销基金会广西、四川代表处之后，理事会于12月1日做出了撤销广东代表处的决议，并且基金会将于2024年底彻底停止在国内的助学活动。
自1992年成立时起，基金会就秉承着促进中国教育均衡发展，专注于提高贫困地区教育质量以及帮助贫困学生完成基础教育的使命，愿每个孩子都拥有享有教育、追求知识的机会。基金会注册于加州伯克利大学校园，莹莹烛火，于德州发展壮大，结果开花。卅二年间，数代数千名捐款人和义工，前仆后继，薪火不息。基金会起于青萍之末，草根本色，吸风饮露，有如会徽中的三叶草，从未敢离地三尺。我们始终知道我们是谁，我们要做什么，我们要怎么做，并力争做到最好。从每年募捐几千美元到超过百万美元，从每年支持几个乡村扩展到项目遍及大半个中国，从单纯的助学金项目拓展到形式多样、因地制宜的多种助学方式，我们为此骄傲！自豪！请您也给自己比个赞吧。
一路走来，感恩有你！我们要感谢的实在太多太多，难以言表。我们由衷地感谢我们所有的义工，用超人的毅力，超人的勇气，超人的开拓精神，摸索出行之有效的募款、助学模式，使得基金会可以用超低的费用完成最高效的助学工作，为基金会奠定了极高的声誉并永远捍卫。无论工作在台前还是幕后，有没有镜头扫过，你们都是基金会的超级英雄。我们由衷地感谢我们所有的一线工作人员以及协调员，你们风餐露宿，不以为苦，走遍祖国千山万水，只为多寻找到一个渴望读书的孩子。
我们由衷地感谢我们所有的捐款人，没有您的信任以及真金白银的馈赠，我们什么也做不了。我们的捐款人，来自海内外几十个国家和地区的以华人为主的不同族裔，有事业有成的行业精英，有校园里不宽裕的留学生，也有法拉盛的保姆阿姨，有捐出退休金的鹤发耆英，也有义卖柠檬水的垂髫孩童。还有的捐款人即使捐款百万美元，依然胸怀谦卑，远离聚光灯。有的骨干义工和有的捐款人朋友，已经告别了这个世界，他们的名字和事迹永远铭刻在我们心底。
我们由衷地感谢广东、四川以及广西相关政府部门多年来对我们助学工作的大力支持，让我们可以行之有效地运行助学项目并接受监督。我们还要感谢社会完善的激发人们行善、奉献的慈善体系，感谢我们在中美两国享受的税收优惠政策，感谢各行业各公司慷慨的配捐，让我们的助学项目一度无法匹配善款累积的速度，被一种甜蜜的负担折磨。
卅二年同行，风一路，雨一路，哭一路，笑一路。我们不会忘记，孩子们清澈的、渴望知识的双眼；我们不会忘记，学童们捧着新书绽开的笑颜；我们不会忘记，崎岖山路冒雨家访的夜晚；我们不会忘记，熬夜在电脑前抢慈善竞赛的配捐；我们不会忘记，我们与孩子们的一封封信件……一切的一切，都不会被遗忘，都已化作漫天的繁星，点亮并守护我们的前程。
一切事物，皆有终章。随着祖国经济的高速发展，以及对基础教育、乡村教育的持续大力度投入，我们发觉我们的“用武之地”渐渐地缩小了，但却由衷地感到欣慰。过去几年，世事变迁，行路中常有牵绊，看不清明天。理事会经过多方研讨，慎重考虑，认为目前是停下已经远超预期的助学工作，开始做一些整理、总结工作的好时机。我们曾经年轻，怀抱理想，拼着命往前闯。我们依然不老，记得理想，永远向着前方。这一次的调整，也许只是暂时的休整，也许就是永远的离开。我们不知道答案，我们会寻找答案。行到水穷处，坐看云起时。希望有一天，您，会和我们一起，续写我们今日暂停的诗篇。
再次向各位致以最诚挚的谢意。如果有缘，相信我们终会再见！
海外中国教育基金会
2024年12月
Dear Donors, Volunteers, and Friends of OCEF:
All great things must come to an end, as they say, usually in a sad tone. But today we cannot possibly quote this cliché with more gratitude, joy, and proud, when informing you that OCEF will end its operation at the end of 2024.
In 1992, a group of Chinese students and scholars in America started OCEF on UC Berkeley campus, and later incorporated it in Texas. China was still very poor then, and even basic elementary education was not accessible to many impoverished Chinese children, especially in remote areas. OCEF founders, however, were not rich, either. What they did possess, were and have always been their deep and unconditional love of their homeland and the people there, and their never-wavered belief in the power of education for making life better.
This OCEF philosophy has attracted generations of donors, volunteers, and friends who share the same love and vision. Together, in a short span of 32 years, we have worked to bring OCEF from its humble beginning to a well-recognized, well-trusted, and well-respected organization both in China and in America.
We have achieved many, many things in China. We don't need to brag about the numbers today because we have updated you every year.
We have grown OCEF's annual fund-raising revenue from thousands to well over one million dollars. We have operated at an extremely low cost ratio with utmost accounting transparency -- we understood their importance for the long-term health and very survival of a Chinese-run nonprofit. We were able to deliver only because countless people sacrificed their time with neither complaints nor cries for spotlights. Those are the OCEF heros, including you and us.
China has made unprecedented strides in developing its economy for the last four decades. Today it has resources to educate its children, even those in the most remote, least developed areas. As such, now it is time for OCEF -- not without bittersweet pride and jubilation -- to bow out of its mission. We chose this job 32 years ago, and the job is complete.
Well done, and thank you all so much for riding the journey with us.
Overseas China Education Foundation
December 15, 2024
