The Sunbeam Children’s Foundation evolved from the dream of one person to the dedicated group of volunteers united in the goal to help needy children in China. Sussi Lempert Schwarz was a resident of Hong Kong for many years. She made several visits to the mainland with her husband, Eli Schwarz, a HKU professor conducting oral health research in China. After a visit to the State Orphanage in Shanghai in 1993, Sussi was driven to finding a way to help orphaned children and started to explore where and how it would be feasible to establish a home for these children in China. She registered the Sunbeam Children’s Foundation in Hong Kong as a charity in 1996 and had both local Chinese members on the board as well as Hong Kong, Swedish, US, and Canadian residents from various professional backgrounds.
It took several years to find the right entry point into China but in 1996 the founding group met Jenny Lewis who became the Foundation’s first professional fundraiser. Through this connection Sussi met Philip Lam who was the Executive Director, for a HK Charity organization, which had helped build a school in the Baiwan area. Philip introduced the Sunbeam group to a remote part in Guangdong province which was in great need of assistance. Other women with a passion to help now became founding members of Sunbeam Children’s Foundation and opened Sunbeam Children’s Village 1999.
Inger Tong, a Swedish woman, a long time resident in Hong Kong, and with a background from a HK organization for abused children, contributed with great dedication her talents as the first secretary of the Foundation;
Margareta Bendeus-Hagg had a background as a dentist from Sweden but as the first treasurer of the Foundation worked hard to set up the necessary systems for success;
Diana Bennett-Satok, a social worker from Canada, was the expert speech- and grant writer, who contributed her efforts towards the common dream;
Mel Satok, Diana’s husband, an architect from Canada, realized a long-held dream to draw a Chinese-styled building, when he contributed the architectural drawings for the Sunbeam Village;
Terry Paule, a judge from the US, stayed with us for a brief period in the first critical months contributing her expertise and many ideas;
Donna Jobe, originating from Wisconsin, USA, was an excellent and active fund raiser;
Bill Tidball requires a special mention as the Project Manager during the construction of the Sunbeam Village, coming from an American background in the FEMA bureaucracy in Washington D.C.
Clara Ng, provided much needed legal advice, which eased the Foundation’s way through the bureaucratic tangles in China, and is still active in the foundation.
Selina Lau and May Chan, both native Hong Kong professional women, became engaged in Sunbeam activities with Selina taking over the job as the treasurer and May active in the exciting growth of the Foundation as it cemented its relationship with the Chinese authorities. Both these ladies have sustained their active participation in the Board of the Foundation and are continuously active in the Executive Committee; finally,
Dorothy Wong, the current chairwoman for the last decade, has been the stalwart backbone of the Foundation, who, with the support of her husband, Dr. Buddy Wong, has been looking after the Sunbeam children’s education, welfare and health, and has been making a momentous difference in the children’s life,.
In the early years, during the 1990’s, a group of dedicated young professionals, including some of Sussi’s own children and with Christine Oustrup from Denmark as their Chair Woman became a powerful fundraising group with great ideas for different fundraising themes.
A group of professionals with different backgrounds from the HK society became helpful as honorary advisors and many wonderful people helped to sustain the Sunbeam Children’s Foundation with their dedication and money.
For the dream to come true we were fortunate to have had the early support of The Kadoorie Charitable foundation, Mr. Pat Wong, Mr Simon Lee and many others to support us financially.
We and the Sunbeam children are all very grateful for the support that has remained until this day.
