Cardin school gift motive under scrutiny

• Source: Global Times
• [09:35 June 02 2010]
• Comments

Primary school students pose in new clothes donated to them Tusday by Pierre Cardin Enfants, the children's line of French designer label Pierre Cardin. Photo: Zhou Ping

By Zhou Ping

The ethics behind the charitable donation by the children's line of Pierre Cardin are being called into question after 398 outfits were gifted to students of a government-subsidized primary school in Pudong New Area Tuesday for International Children's Day.

Pierre Cardin Enfants, the Shanghai-based agent of the French haute couture designer label, is being accused of exploiting the poor kids for promotional gain. The clothing sets delivered were three outfits short of ensuring that every student at the Linchang Campus of the Changlin Primary School, a learning institution for children of migrant workers, received a new T-shirt and pair of pants valued altogether at as much as 200 yuan ($29.28).

The school was earlier asked to prepare a performance for the donors to express gratitude for the presents, which meant that the children spent the last two weeks coming up with a routine instead of working on their studies, Zhang Jianhua, a teacher who also serves the administrative board of the school, told the Global Times Tuesday.

"We appreciate that the company donated new clothes," she added. "But it would have been better if we had not been asked to do the performance - both students and teachers are exhausted."

Ten classroom performances and a speech delivered by the Pierre Cardin Enfants rep-resentatives occupied the space of an hour Tuesday during the 85th International Children's Day, said Zhang.

According to another teacher at the school surnamed Xie, they have also been burdened with how to account for the three children who will not receive an outfit, saying that the school hopes to solve the problem. He added that Pierre Cardin Enfants originally wanted to donate to a school with less than 300 students, but after talks with the school the company agreed to provide 398 outfits.

Parents are also concerned about the effect the gift is having on their children, afraid that it will make their little ones too materialistic.

"I didn't know this brand before, but I want to ask my mom to buy me this brand for me from now on," Chen Yao, a Grade 5 student at the school, told the Global Times Tuesday.

His mother, a migrant worker who earns money as a part-time maid, was happy that the donation allowed her son the opportunity to own something so nice, but was worried it would make her son want more than she can provide for him.

"I cannot buy him clothes from this brand," she said. "They are far too expensive."

Industry insiders, too, are slamming the motives behind the 'act of kindness.'

"It's just for show," a man surnamed Xu, who works at a local public relations firm that promotes various companies online upon request, told the Global Times Tuesday. "Clothes made by a famous brand are not useful to these children; the fashion label should have instead donated something more useful, such as desks."

A public relations officer at a local university who preferred to remain anonymous said the donation would be more meaningful if it was done more frequently, and open to more schools.

"Otherwise, it is really more a ploy," she said, adding that companies should better think through charitable activities that are meant to help the needy.

Meanwhile, a manager with Pierre Cardin Enfants surnamed Lin told the Global Times that the company decided to make the donation so that it could contribute something to the special day for kids. But, he declined to comment further. The Raising Community Service Center, who organized the donation, however, defended the charitable effort Tuesday, saying that it is only fair that donors benefit from their good deeds.

"Companies want to get involved with charitable activities, but at the same time, they expect to raise awareness of their name through their donations," Xu Hong, head of the Center, told the Global Times Tuesday. "This kind of practice should be more than acceptable since it is only spells a win-win situation for both the donor and those on the receiving end."