Simon
Lichtenberg虽然是丹麦人，但却是个十足的“中国通”。他为自己取了一个中文名字，李曦萌。作为特雷通集团创建人、董事会主席兼首席执行官，他积极参加各项社会活动。他除了是复旦大学外国留学生协会会长、丹麦商会上海分会会长和上海欧盟商会零售与分销论坛副主席外，从去年开始，他长长的履历表上又多了一个新身份——乡村儿童早期发展基金未来希望幼儿班项目发起人。
Aliang
Aliang
is the first girl Simon Lichtenberg met in Butuo County of Liangshan Yi
Minority Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, one of the 300 poorest
counties in China. When the Danish entrepreneur visited Aliang's home, he was
impressed by the six-year-old's independence. "The family lives on subsistence
farming and she has already done some housework to relieve the burden on her
parents and siblings," recalled Mr. Lichtenberg, Founder and CEO of
Trayton Group, and Founder of the Rural Early Education Development Fund.
A
couple of months ago before the trip, Mr. Lichtenberg met James J. Heckman, professor
of economics at the University of Chicago and the Nobel laureate in economics, at
a seminar on preschool education. "The most cost-effective human capital
investment period: 0-6 years," said Prof. Heckman. "Early
interventions that build the capability base of children have much higher
economic returns than later remediation and prevention programs, such as public
job training, convict rehabilitation programs, adult literacy programs, tuition
subsidies or expenditure on police to reduce crime."
Inspired
by the professor’s speech, Mr. Lichtenberg set about to collect more information
and in the process he came to know that preschool education was underdeveloped in
rural areas of western China. Therefore, the successful businessman mobilized
10 of his CEO friends to donate 60,000 yuan each and set up a special fund
under the Shanghai Charity Foundation in the hope of improving access to
preschool education in rural areas as his way of contributing to where he lives
and works.
Along
with Humana People to People China (HPP), a non-profit organization working for
the common good, Mr. Lichtenberg started the first project, Preschools of the Future
(‘POF’), in Butuo County where there were only two kindergartens for a total of
14,500 preschoolers.
The
HPP POF program provides rural children with access to full-time three-year
preschool education at natural and administrative village levels. Each class is
made up of 25-30 students aged between 3 and 5. Kids are trained in the daily curriculum
that cultivates their body and motor skills, math capabilities, and language proficiency,
which is complemented by a weekly program that involves storytelling, arts and outdoor
activities.
"We
want to teach the children to make up her/his own mind and choices, and learn
by planning, execution, failure and victory," explained Mr. Lichtenberg.
Speaking of the changes Aliang has experienced, he was quite relieved.
"Before attending POF, Aliang was worried that she couldn’t keep up with
the primary school if she didn’t speak Mandarin. But now she has learnt to
speak some Mandarin and enjoys a great time at school with her friends. The
children learn about the world and learn to believe in themselves. Aliang and
her friends have taken an essential step to their later life in school. They are
the children of the future."
China Hand
Mr.
Lichtenberg defines himself as a frenetic fan of the Chinese language and
culture, which was made even more convincing by his unplanned trip to Shanghai
in 1988. "My friend and I wanted to learn the most difficult language in
the world. So here I am." Mr. Lichtenberg is still surprised at the
decision he made then. Over the next few years, he was learning Chinese at Fudan
University, and continued his studies back in Denmark before he entered the
timber trade in Malaysia. After all that he moved back to China to start his
own business. In 1995, he opened Trayton Group, a furniture company which now
has grown into an enterprise of more than 2,000 employees.
Mr.
Lichtenberg speaks seven languages and has lived in eight countries. Since he has
settled down in Shanghai, he describes himself as an expert on China. He was
awarded the “Magnolia Silver Award” from the Shanghai Municipal Government in
2006 for his outstanding contribution to the local development, and is selected
as the founding president of the Fudan University International Students Alumni
Association. In 2011, he was awarded “Entrepreneur of the Year 2011” by the
Danish Chamber of Commerce in China for his exceptional
business achievements in China, and has been elected as Chairman of Danish
Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai in 2013. Since 2014, he has been serving as the
Vice Chairman of Retail and Distribution Forum of the European Chamber of
Commerce in China.
Mr.
Lichtenberg attributes his achievement to his perseverance, courage and creativity,
qualities he has cultivated since childhood. "In addition, I work hard. A
hard-working attitude and an adaptive capacity to different cultures and environments
enable me to stay current with new developments and enjoy a desirable life in
Shanghai."
