In the mid-1990s, the enormous economic and social transformation of China was well underway. Yet, just as it is nowadays, many were unequipped to meet the challenges of this new order. While filming the TV documentary "Shanghai Vice," British filmmaker Charlotte Ashby first noticed the difficult conditions under which some Shanghai students lived.

In Charlotte's own words; "I arrived in Shanghai in early 1995 to work on a documentary film project. At the end of the same year, Zhang Jun (co-founder of Shanghai Sunrise) and I were visiting local Street Committees, where we were told time and time again of their concerns about students whose parents were unable to cover schooling or medical costs. As a foreigner living in Shanghai, I felt the need to engage actively with the reality of people's lives, and to respond in some way to these students deprived of the opportunity to fulfill their potential. Zhang Jun and I were convinced that many people would feel as I did.”

And so Charlotte conceived the idea of bringing together the city's most disadvantaged youngsters with people who would sponsor their education. She and Zhang Jun then decided to set up a program, based on one-to-one relationships that would encourage personal involvement between sponsors and students.

“We wanted to get to know every student, to be sure of their circumstances and their willingness to do their best. We wanted to ensure that every fen of the sponsor's money went directly towards the student’s education or medical treatment. We wanted a personal touch, a sense of responsibility,” Charlotte explains.

Soon thereafter, the Shanghai Charity Foundation took the initiative under its wing. In 1995 Shanghai Sunrise was born and, as predicted by Charlotte, has since been generously supported by many people.