As the SANY Foundation marks its 11th anniversary in 2024, it reflects on a decade of philanthropic projects that have transformed lives across China. Founded by the SANY Group, a leader in industrial machinery, the foundation initially began with its “Dream Fulfillment” initiative, aiming to promote scientific philanthropy. Over the years, it has expanded to focus on public advocacy, technical rescue, rural revitalisation, and, most recently, pioneering tinkering education for children in rural areas.
The foundation’s public advocacy initiatives bring together SANY Group employees and the wider public, engaging them in community-based charitable activities. Its technical rescue work, meanwhile, draws upon SANY’s expertise in heavy machinery to provide emergency support during natural disasters worldwide, a commitment that has made SANY a crucial player in global disaster response efforts.
A significant focus of the foundation’s work, however, is rural revitalisation. Responding to China’s vision for shared prosperity and poverty alleviation, SANY Foundation has launched a range of initiatives to support rural communities. One of its key projects is the “Tinkering Education” programme, which aims to nurture creativity, problem-solving skills, and scientific literacy among children in underprivileged areas. Since launching in 2022, Tinkering Education has reached over 40,000 children across 24 provinces, providing high-quality technical and engineering courses to foster curiosity and build technical skills.
In October, Pan Shi Elementary School in Hengyang hosted a charity event co-organised by the SANY Foundation, SANY Group, and Nippon Paint China. The event brought educational and artistic opportunities to rural students, with workshops that merged art and engineering education. The event included a mural-painting project, an offshoot of Nippon Paint’s “Color, Way of Love” programme, where students decorated the school with artwork under the theme “Dreams of the Future.”
Banshi Elementary School, another site for Tinkering Education, benefited from creative learning opportunities in partnership with Nippon China this summer. The project introduced an imaginative, brightly coloured learning environment designed to inspire the students and encourage them to pursue their dreams. Activities included career exploration painting classes and an engineering challenge, where students could operate a remote-controlled excavator donated by SANY. These activities aimed to build creative thinking skills and spark an interest in engineering and technology.
Shen Danxi, Secretary-General of the SANY Foundation, expressed the foundation’s commitment to advancing social change through philanthropy. “Over the past decade, the SANY Foundation has provided financial support to a wide range of charities, with individual contributions ranging from 200,000 to 10 million yuan,” Shen said. “Our projects encompass education, support for vulnerable groups, mental health, new energy, and social innovation. We’re dedicated to creating a better society by maximising the impact of each philanthropic effort.”
As the SANY Foundation looks to the future, it plans to further invest in rural education through cross-sector partnerships. By fostering collaboration between businesses, educational institutions, and local communities, the foundation aims to continue making meaningful strides in its mission to build a more equitable and innovative society. Through initiatives such as Tinkering Education, SANY hopes to empower the next generation with the skills, creativity, and curiosity needed to drive China’s future growth.