Sport for Life actively supports Roots and Shoots with its Development Through Sport program, by organizing events and training volunteers. If you would like to become involved in this rewarding program, please contact Roots and Shoot directly to find out more:

Development Through Sport:
Improving the Physical and Mental Wellbeing of the Shanghai Migrant Population

Due to the hukou system of household registration, the millions of migrant workers and their families that flow into Shanghai in search of work each year face many barriers to equal opportunity in wages and social services. In particular, most migrant families are unable to gain access to the local public school and health care systems. Migrant school children encounter problems registering at local schools. Even if families are able to gain temporary residency and the right to Shanghai public education, school fees and frequent discrimination present an insurmountable barrier.

One solution to this problem has been the development of schools specifically for migrant children. While these schools vary greatly in composition, most of them lack sufficient funding and resources for the children. Teachers are offered extremely low salaries therefore lacking motivation, and the curricula offered is insufficient to provide an adequate education; not to mention the lack of programs or extra-curricular activities available.

The Jane Goodall Institute-Shanghai, Roots & Shoots has thus developed a program to help address these problems. The program is based upon physical and health education being taught in migrant schools throughout Shanghai. Through this program Roots & Shoots seeks to address the concern for lack of health services and insufficient funding for health and education for migrant children. We hope that through sport and nutrition the mental and physical wellbeing of migrant children in Shanghai will be improved.

The program is conducted through weekly PE and health classes taught by volunteers. These classes educate kids in sport, health, proper mental attitude, physical wellbeing, and hygiene. In addition, the students participate in routine health screening and medical checkups. Each year, all the kids in the program will celebrate a Sports Day to enjoy the pleasure of sports.

Currently there is one school involved in the program, Limin School. Limin School, located in Pudong, which was established in 1998 by a migrant teacher from Anhui Province. With more than 700 students from grades 1-9 and a staff of 22 teachers, this school focuses on educating children whose parents are migrants working in Pudong, primarily in the village area just outside of the Shanghai Links. The students and teachers come from different provinces from around China including Anhui, Sichuan, Hebei, Henan, and Jiangxi. Each student at Limin pays an annual tuition of 800RMB. The school runs on this tuition alone covering the costs for materials, facilities, and personnel. Limin does not receive any funding from the local Shanghai government. Educated in compliance with the basic Chinese curriculum requirements, upon graduation the students will have completed their compulsory education.