National netball player, broadcast journalist, emcee and speaker - Zhang Tingjun has packed in more than a bit of adventure in just three decades on this Earth. But perhaps the role that will come to define her most is as co-founder of The Chain Reaction Project (TCRP).
“It’s really about using adventure as a platform to create change.,” says Ms Zhang of the non-profit organization established in 2009 with three other partners. Focusing on causes related to women and children in the region, TCRP works with schools, companies and members of the public to address issues such as human trafficking and infant mortality.
So how does it work? Ms Zhang explains that TCRP organizes trips in the region that incorporate an element of adventure, whether it be climbing up a mountain, running a marathon or biking. Participants work together to reach a fundraising goal, as well as to raise awareness of the cause that they are supporting in the country they visit.
Ms Zhang says, “We think that adventure is a good way to foster the community, and to ease people into giving back. Sometimes, the thought of a charity trip can be a bit overwhelming, and it also helps to foster a very good sense of team spirit.” Indeed, participants are encouraged to come on board and become a “catalyst for change”.
Four years ago, TCRP began with a trip to Timor Leste for the Tour de Timor, a five-day, 450km mountain bike race across nine of the country’s 13 districts. The endeavor raised more than $44,000 for the launch of HIAM-Health, now a key player in the fight against malnutrition in the country.
This April, TCRP will head to Hanoi, Vietnam for a gastronomic journey. It will also take in a trip to an ethnic minority group in Hoa Binh province, which is being supported by Bloom Microventures with sustainable livelihood programmes. TCRP has also organized trips to the likes of Cambodia, Philippines and Tanzania, drawing a total of 666 people.
But Ms Zhang readily admits that for many years, she did not have a clue how to give. Describing giving as a skill set, she says, “For the first 27 years of my life, I didn’t really know how to give. I wasn’t sure which cause to focus on. And I spent so much time thinking about it, I was quite paralysed by it, so I did nothing.”
So after four years of working with TCRP, is she now better at giving? “I think I’m better at it! I hope I’m better at it, but I think I have a long way to go in terms of learning, and I don’t think that learning process will ever stop. I think the more you learn about the cause, the more you come to care about it.”
Asked what the biggest obstacles to sparking off change are, Ms Zhang says that it is neither money nor apathy. Instead, she reckons that it is the knowledge gap that prevents people from taking action, “Sometimes, I think it’s just a lack of understanding of the issues and where you fit in that picture, and not knowing how you can make a difference.”
Convinced that people want to make a difference and will give of their time and money to a cause they feel connected to, Ms Zhang says that it is a simple matter of taking the first step towards giving. “It’s just starting, and as you go along, realizing that it’s okay not knowing what you’re doing in the beginning, and that you’ll figure it out as you go along,” says Ms Zhang.