A LACK of funds and shortage of professional staff at mainland orphanages is making it difficult to provide care to marginal groups, an experienced Hong Kong-based charity chief said yesterday.
Kathi Zellweger, director (international co-operation) of Caritas Hong Kong, said her organisation has had considerable involvement in China and had observed both negative and positive attitudes in officials throughout the country.
'There is no definite pattern of running these institutions, but we believe our support and management guidance to institutions such as orphanages and schools is generally well received,' she said.
'We all know there are problems in a society where money is short, but things are changing for the better all the time.' Caritas has been heavily involved for the past 10 years in a school for mentally handicapped children, a notoriously marginalised group in China.
The Zhi Ling Special School in suburban Guangzhou operates independently of the government, but has wide-ranging support from the local authorities.
When the school started, non-government organisations were a rarity and anything outside the Party-sponsored loop was frowned upon.