LEQUN, the first Chinese non-profit organization special-izing in social work, is now on the edge of being shut down because all its social workers have left due to a financial crisis.

Liu Xiaofang, the leader of Lequn chose to leave her post this month just as the first group of social workers were waiting for their certificates. She may have expected too much from her new career.

Established on February 28, 2003, Lequn was the first organization in China to provide professional social services and assistance.

It used to have a group of 16 professional social workers who were new graduates, supported by hundreds of volunteers providing six categories of social service, ranging from anti-drug education to self-development training.

Liu seems to have done everything in her power to make Lequn a successful organization.

"Liu Xiaofang is the most strong-minded social worker among us. She really takes social work seriously as a career and devote herself to it," said Tan Huan, the only one of Lequn's six co-founders to remain with the organization.

Harsh conditions

According to the Shanghai Youth Daily, Liu Xiaofang even sold her house to pay the organization's social workers after it sank into financial crisis beginning last September.

Of Lequn's initial capital, totalling 100,000 yuan (US$12,091), 60,000 yuan (US$7,255) was invested by the government of the Pudong District, with another 20,000 yuan (US$2,418) from Wu Shuili, the CEO of Hong Kong Christian Service, a social work organization in Hong Kong.

Although it adopted a modern managing system, supervised by a board, Lequn's establishment was largely due to the government's financial support, which allowed it to provide social services in the six schools for children of migrant workers in the Pudong District.

As a non-profit organization, Lequn's only source of income was training fees and payments for other activities, which hardly even met the its basic costs. Unless the government proves willing to fund its activities, Lequn will find it difficult to survive.

Doubt has emerged concerning Liu's leadership. "She was a good social worker but not a good social work leader," said one official who preferred to remain anonymous.

"She was overwhelmed by the requirements of running the organization. She thought it was natural for the government to buy its services."

Ma Yili, a strong supporter of social work said: "We must support social work organizations when they are young. But they should adapt to the needs of society and take an active role. It is the market that will finally breed them."

According to one official from the office in charge of social work in Pudong District, Liu did not seem to understand the role Lequn should play.

"She thought the government should give money to Lequn first and then Lequn would provide services. She regarded Lequn as a government department instead of an independent organization," he said.

According to Liu herself, however, there is no choice but for most of the money needed to carry out social work to come from the government or funding organizations.

According to Pudong government sources, Hong Kong, with a highly developed and efficient system of social work, spends an immense US$914 million each year on buying service from organizations providing social work.

For instance, the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, a social welfare agency specializing in the field of youth services, receives US$25.74 million from the government, which makes up 66.2 per cent of its entire income.

Gu Donghui, an expert in social work at Fudan University suggested that, in addition to market promotion, the government should take a key role in promoting social work and support relevant organizations with government resources in their burgeoning period.

"After all it is the government who possess the greatest resources and influence," said Gu.

And the government is indeed playing a key role in the promotion of social work.

Uncertain future

Yet although Lequn enjoys favourable government policies the lack of financial support has been gradually suffocating the newborn organization.

The monthly wage of social workers was less than 2,000 yuan (US$241), hardly enough to live on, their counterparts in Hong Kong can earn as much as US$3,861 per month.

But the great demand for social services will increase the demand for such organizations. The government is attempting to deal with social problems itself, but they do not have a clear understanding of social work or how to support it.

Three social work organizations were established on February 19 in Shanghai, to take part in crime prevention and reduction work.

The three organizations, the Sunshine Community Youth Service Centre, the Xinhuang Social Work Centre and the Shanghai Self-reliant Social Services Centre, will operate as self-supporting bodies generating income from the service they provide.

The establishment of the three organizations is largely due to the government's determination to help social work develop under market conditions.

Liu Yungeng, the Vice Mayor of Shanghai, said the government would support the organizations, passing relevant laws and regulations to ensure their rights and responsibilities and build up a sound environment for their development. But what awaits the three organizations is still in question.

"One of the most important factors is people's lack of understanding of social work," Gu said.

Social work is different from community work and volunteer activities. Social workers are those who provide professional work for individuals when the government is unable to do so. "So it is difficult to promote social work among those who mistake them for government officials or school teachers," Ma said.

Another problem is the human resources available for social work. "Social work is a demanding task, requiring efficient communication, psychological analysis, effective persuasion and so on. Social workers should be well educated, for example in sociology, psychology, criminology and law," said Sha Wei, head of social worker training in the Xuhui District.

It is a tough task to train the candidates, although they are carefully selected from among numerous applicants. Most are officials, teachers or colleague students.

"They cannot achieve a good training through a short and condensed course."

Sha Wei has planned to continue the training programme as social workers engage in practical work and encounter problems requiring specific skills.

According to Ma Yili, university graduates with a social work major are reluctant to take positions as social workers, since this is regarded as a low-ranking career,

"We are trying to find a solution with the help of the government, so as to better adjust our university education to social needs," Gu said.