25 years of connecting students and sponsors

Shanghai Sunrise Pairing Ceremony

On Saturday 13 November 2021, an exceptional group of individuals gathered at the Kunlun Jing‘an Hotel for the 25th annual Shanghai Sunrise Student/Sponsor Pairing Ceremony. The occasion: welcoming students to the Shanghai Sunrise family and inspiring them to continuously reach for their dreams. These students who are new to our scholarship programs had the chance to meet and interact with their sponsors and Shanghai Sunrise volunteers.

[Click Here to See a Short Video of the event highlights]

Shanghai Sunrise recognizes the unequal educational opportunities in our community, and in an effort to alleviate this gap, we give students access to education and personal development. Following a stringent process to assess the needs of low-income families, we selected 127 new high school and university students to participate in our 2021/2022 scholarship programs. This school year, our organization is supporting a total of 236 high school and 136 university students to continue their education.

This year’s Pairing Ceremony opened with a keynote speech by Dr. Alison Meagher, Deputy Consul General of Ireland in Shanghai. She expressed her delight at partnering with Shanghai Sunrise for the first time. “Access to education helps expand the choices and opportunities people have, thus enabling them to take greater control of their lives and escape the vicious cycle of poverty,” she explained. “We were drawn to and inspired by the work of Shanghai Sunrise, as we share their vision for a brighter future for disadvantaged youth, through access to education and personal development.”

Shanghai Sunrise has been supporting underprivileged students since 1996. In order to provide educational scholarships and development opportunities, we partner with corporate and civic organizations as well as individuals. This year is exceptional, as we celebrate 25 years of giving back to the community and empowering less fortunate youth. Since our inception, Shanghai Sunrise has given over 3,200 students and their families a chance at a brighter future.

Another special guest took the stage: Chen Jian Hua, a former Shanghai Sunrise student who is now a sponsor herself. She shared her experience of being exposed to people and places outside of her immediate circles, and how this inspired her to work hard and make her friends and family proud. “Together with my parents, my biggest wish is to thank Shanghai Sunrise and the Shanghai Charity Foundation for helping us.” Now a sponsor herself, Hua went on to encourage the students in the room by adding that she will be cheering them on, every step of their educational journey.

In between the speeches, our team organized various activities between students, sponsors, and volunteers. These were great fun; everyone cooperated well and really enjoyed themselves.

During Shanghai Sunrise’s 25-year tenure, we have worked hard to build lasting relationships with our stakeholders. We could not have achieved what we have, if not for our generous sponsors. We would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one for being part of this 25-year legacy. A big thank you to all our sponsors for your generosity and for attending this auspicious Pairing Ceremony. To all our volunteers, your time and effort does not go unseen. You are the backbone of our organization. To Croissanterie, thank you for the delicious snack boxes and for contributing towards a successful event. And thank you once again to the Kunlun Hotel for providing us with a stunning venue. Our relationship with this venue dates back to 1996, when the Hilton Hotel (which was in the same building) hosted these ceremonies for over 20 years. The Kunlun Hotel has been hosting our Pairing Ceremonies since 2019.

If you would like to find out more about Shanghai Sunrise or how you can get involved as a sponsor or volunteer, visit our website at www.shanghaisunrise.com