IFTM is a long-term supporter of the Oasis Action charity programme, organised by the Chinese Educators Association of Macau. The scheme allows disadvantaged young people in Mainland China to attend formal education.
A significant part of IFTM’s involvement in the Oasis Action programme is the provision of scholarships for outstanding high school students from poverty-stricken areas in the Mainland, in order for them to attend higher education at the Institute. Many of those that have benefited from the scholarships are now developing successful careers in fields ranging from hospitality to education.
IFTM graduate Mr. Chang Huanhuan received a scholarship from IFTM under the Oasis Action scheme. He completed his studies in academic year 2014/2015 and is now working for a bank in Foshan, in Guangdong Province. Mr. Chang says the support provided by IFTM was very helpful, freeing his mind of the burden of family financial struggles, and allowing him to concentrate on his studies.
Another beneficiary, Ms. Wang Shiqi, says that, besides IFTM providing her with the opportunity of gaining rich academic knowledge, her time at the Institute also gave her an understanding of the importance of group work. Although she graduated more than 5 years ago, Ms Wang says she still keeps in close contact with some of her group-study contemporaries from IFTM days.
Oasis Action was launched in 2006 and the Institute has been involved since the start, representing a 15-year commitment from IFTM so far. The campaign’s overall goal is to help young people from low-income regions in northwest China to attend formal education in order to be able to advance their economic and professional prospects.
Following a massive earthquake in 2008 in Sichuan Province, IFTM stepped up its involvement in the Oasis Action campaign. The Institute began offering full tuition scholarships to high school students from the earthquake-stricken areas, in order for them to attend higher education studies at IFTM.
The programme started in academic year 2009/2010. Ms. Luo Xiaoyan, who graduated from IFTM in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in Tourism Business Management, was the first beneficiary. After working in Macao for 2 years in the hotel industry, she later returned to Chengdu in Sichuan.
Ms. Luo says IFTM equipped her with the necessary knowledge and skills to build a successful career in hospitality. She praises IFTM for providing students with opportunities to achieve academic success. Ms. Luo eventually went on to get a postgraduate degree from The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Also originally from Sichuan, Ms. Zhou Hanyan graduated in 2014, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Tourism Business Management. She now teaches at a vocational school in the Mainland city of Zhuhai, next door to Macao. Ms. Zhou thanks IFTM for the full tuition scholarship, saying it gave her the opportunity to acquire specialised knowledge and, most importantly, practical experience. The Institute also was important in promoting her personal development, she points out.
IFTM supports Oasis Action in ways aside from provision of scholarships. It has donation boxes spread around its campuses, so that students and staff can make contributions to the programme. In addition, Oasis Action is regularly chosen as a beneficiary for charity events put on by the students as part of their practical studies at IFTM.
The Institute sends representatives and students to join delegations visiting communities in Mainland China that benefit from the Oasis Action efforts. These site tours allow participants to have a better grasp of the struggles of people in those locations, and of how Oasis Action is making a difference for them.
In addition, the IFTM Student Union conducts an activity annually that asks students to donate to Oasis Action some of the ‘lai si’ money they have received over the Chinese New Year period.
Beyond its role in Oasis Action, IFTM cooperates with community organisations to allow its students and staff to take part in public campaigns on matters such as education, alleviation of hunger, and environmental sustainability. Such an approach enables students and staff to work for the greater good, to find new ways to serve society, and to discover the power they possess to change the world for the better.
