The China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF) UNIQLO Special Fund launched this year's welfare program on Miao-style embroidery in Shanghai on July 18. Miao is a Chinese minority group.
Tang Jiuhong, deputy secretary-general of CSCLF, Pan Ning, president of UNIQLO Greater China, and Jin Boran, brand spokesman for UNIQLO, attended the launch ceremony.
Tang Jiuhong (second from left), deputy secretary-general of CSCLF, Pan Ning (M), president of UNIQLO Greater China, and Jin Boran (second from left), brand spokesman for UNIQLO, attend the launch ceremony for this year's welfare program on Miao-style embroidery in Shanghai on July 18. [Photo/CSCLF]
Tang Jiuhong, deputy secretary-general of CSCLF, speaks at the launch ceremony. [Photo/CSCLF]
Tang Jiuhong, deputy secretary-general of CSCLF, said the embroidery program was meant to help alleviate poverty.
The program teaches Miao women how to embroider and helps them find buyers, said Tang.
Pan Ning said that the program aimed to bring traditional culture into people's contemporary lives and help young customers appreciate the culture behind certain clothes.
Miao-style embroidery works [Photo/CSCLF]
A Miao-style embroidery work [Photo/CSCLF]
A Miao-style embroidery work [Photo/CSCLF]
A Miao-style embroidery work [Photo/CSCLF]
A Miao-style embroidery work [Photo/CSCLF]
A Miao-style embroidery work [Photo/CSCLF]
Miao-style embroidery works [Photo/CSCLF]
Since the CSCLF UNIQLO Special Fund was founded three years ago, it has organized a number of activities with the goal of donating clothes to people from less developed areas. In 2018, the fund began focusing on how to help preserve traditional embroidery in western Hunan province while also bringing in more money for locals, leading to the creation of the Miao-embroidery welfare program.
UNIQLO donated 1.3 million yuan ($181,709) to CSCLF to establish the Miao-embroidery fund.
The fund recruited more than 700 low-income women in West Hunan and taught them Miao embroidery. After two months of training, the women's embroidery works were collected and they all received 1,300 yuan in compensation.
"It is reassuring that I don't need to travel far from home to find a job", 29-year-old Shi Hongzhen said, "the program allows rural women to earn a living near home, so we don't have to worry about being able to take care of our families".
After the program began, some migrant workers decided to come back home and participate in the program.
A woman creates a butterfly embroidery. [Photo/CSCLF]
A woman showcases her embroidery skills at the opening ceremony of the program. [Photo/CSCLF]
Program participants usually create embroideries of animals such as butterflies, cows, and fish.
Their embroidery works will be used as accessories for bags with the hope of revitalizing traditional Miao embroidery.
An exhibition introduces the embroidery welfare program initiated by CSCLF and UNIQLO. [Photo/CSCLF]
Embroidery works by program participants are exhibited. [Photo/CSCLF]
(Source: Fund Department)