Non-governmental organization "Hand in Hand: Building an Earth Village," which organizes participatory environmental protection programs for children around China, yesterday received its biggest donation to date from the Japanese Embassy in Beijing.

The some US$200,000 donation is expected to finance environmental education at 300 schools in Beijing, Tianjin and Qingdao in East China's Shandong Province.

Initiated in 1997, the program encourages children to consciously seek out and collect recyclable waste, such as pop-top cans and used newspapers. During the past five years, children involved in the program have collected more than 1 million yuan (US$120,800) from project sales of recyclable material.

The money will help set up five environmental protection primary schools in poverty-stricken areas, 155 environmental libraries, as well as preservation of the Yellow River and tree planting there.

The Japanese Embassy provided financial aid to the program in 1999 and 2000 to help 200 schools in Beijing and cities of Shijiazhuang, Qinhuangdao and Chengde in Hebei Province.

(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2003)