Jan 15th - Lunch Meeting

Guest Speaker:   CHING TIEN

ABOUT CHING TIEN, FOUNDER OF EGRC   https://egrc.ca/

     Ching Tien grew up in Beijing where she attended a privileged girls-only school where the daughters of Mao, Deng and other high-ranking communist officials attended. Like millions of other young people during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, her dream of obtaining an education was swiftly shattered. Instead of finishing her education, she was sent to Gansu Province, the poorest province in China to work in a factory for eight years.

In 1980’s, Ching moved to Canada and has made Vancouver her home. For 20 years, Ching owned and managed an art gallery and exhibited art by renowned contemporary Canadian artists. She has been actively involved and volunteered at local arts and music communities. From 2013 to 2019 she served asthe chair of the board of Vancouver Children’s Choir.

In 2005, Ching founded the charity Educating Girls of Rural China(EGRC). EGRC operates under the belief that educated women have educated children. In 15 years EGRC worksin rural regions of Western China andhas provided financial sponsorship and emotional support to 1,280 girls with their high school and university educations; the students have achieved over 99 percent graduation rate. In 2018 Ching has established the Vocational School Sponsorship Program. This program help girls who don’t go to university to have a career path; and other learning opportunities in place to help the girls with their personal and career developments. A Future Women Leader Scholarship Program was launched in 2018.

In 2016 Ching spoke at Girl’s 20 Summit Beijing, TEDx Beijing, Foreign Correspondence Club China, Asia Society Hong Kong, University Women’s Club Vancouver, JP Morgan’s “China’s Philanthropy Today”. From 2017 to 2019 Ching spoke at the British Council’s launching of the “Inspiring Women” event in Beijing, Alibaba’s Global Women Entrepreneur Conference, Yanching Centre of Global Symposium at Peking University and Eve Programme’s Annual Asia Pacific Conference. Ching received Canada’s Governor General’s Award in 2017, and was the Finalist of RMB (Royal Bank of Canada) Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award in 2018.