Yunnan Stream Bridge Program
When defined by different regions in China, the largest demand for countryside convenient bridges comes from Southwestern China. The survey in 207 key counties in national poverty relief work in the five provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Yunan and Hunan shows that each of these counties needs over 100 bridges on average. If calculation is made on a number of 60 bridges that urgently needs to be built with financial aid in each county, there are altogether 12,420 convenient bridges that need to be built in 207 such counties in the five provinces. The China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation launched the Stream Bridge Program in 2007.
The Yunnan Stream Bridge Program implemented by the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation is one of the public interest and charity programs of China Merchants Securities. There are numerous streams and rivers in the region of Pu'er in Yunnan but the region lacks proper bridges. In the rainy season, stream torrents pose life threat to the residents there who need to cross these rivers. The program will help the region to build convenient bridges to secure the traveling safety of local residents.
In 2011, the program became one of the recommended programs in the Dream Choir, a large public interest and charity television program produced by China Central Television. As a sole provider of the public interest and charity funds, the China Merchants Securities provided RMB one million yuan to the program. It was planned that 13 convenient bridges will be built in the region. At present three have been completed. The rest ten will be completed in December, 2012.
