China Earthquake Relief Fund

Hello GlobalGivers,

At first glance, you may seem very different from a person living more than 6,000 miles away. Tastes, sights, ideologies, and beliefs vary across the world. However, in the seemingly fast seconds when you clicked the “donate” button, your desire to help and a survivor’s relentless hope erased your differences and gave you two more in common with each other than anyone else in the world.  All the way from China, we bring you updates and stories of success from different organizations that are arduously working in the region:

Xintu Center for Community Health Promotion, S. H . conducted training for 20 township mental health workers from the Yaan prefecture. As a result, a severe number of stakeholders in the field of mental health and community rebuilding were very interested in this participatory training course. After numerous discussions, the participants agreed on a need for a new community organization in Yaan that will create a long term plan for a mental health program. Fortunately, Shanghai Xintu will be capable of playing a vital role to smooth the process in the new establishment for the organization.

Also, Xintu will plan two training courses on mental health needs to explore community solutions, which will be the first step in establishing a community-led organization that is dedicated to promote mental health in the Yaan prefecture.

Mercy Corps was able to immediately assist families in the region by providing them with basic needs like water, hygiene kits, and other emergency items. The organization is also focusing on three projects that seek to ensure the psychological well-being of children affected by the earthquake. After all, young children tend to be more vulnerable to the traumatic effects of a catastrophe of this magnitude.

As for the previous programs established, Mercy Corps was able to finalize and print the “My Earthquake Story” workbook and Caregiver Guide for their Comfort for Kids Program (C4K). The Moving Forward Program, which works closely with older youth, has been able to reach 4,000 elementary and middle school students.  “Rebuilding for the future”, a program to promote stable access to early education, has found 10 pilot schools to serve as models for the project.

The organization also provided school supply kits to 48 schools in the Tianquan and Baoxing regions, which benefited approximately 9,000 students. Thanks to these supplies, these students will continue the education that was taken away from them since the earthquake. These supplies include age appropriate textbooks, toys, games, art supplies, calculators, an electric musical keyboard, a computer, printers, projectors, tables, and desks.

Almost eight months ago, the lives of these people were shockingly disrupted by an unexpected event. However, equally unexpected was the solidarity they received from GlobalGivers around the world, who allowed GlobalGiving’s partners to quickly mobilize and offer immediate support and relief to the areas affected.

We will keep you updated in the following months; however, feel free to let us know if you have any questions or thoughts in the comment section below. If you would like to make a donation, please click on China Earthquake Relief Fund

Thank you.

Dear friends,

There is a province in China that features green mountains similar to the Lord of the Rings setting.  This province in China is also stellar at producing spicy food and dramatic opera.  It is one of the largest provinces of China, claiming 187,260 square miles as its own.  The province is Sichuan province, directly in the center of China.  Three months ago, Sichuan province was hit with an earthquake.  This earthquake measured 7.0 on the magnitude scale, and caused 196 people to die and 11,826 to incur severe injuries.  2 million people have been displaced from their homes.  This same province also faced a massive earthquake in 2008, an 8.0 magnitude disaster stealing the lives of 69,195 people and causing 18,392 people to go missing.

Friends, you have shown China that each one of these earthquake-affected people is important through your financial gifts to the fund.  That’s amazing compassion.  When you and your friends and family and dentist and principal and coworkers move money into this fund, GlobalGiving sends it to five highly-vetted organizations on the ground in China, doing disaster relief work.  Check out the first updates from three of those organizations to see what they've been doing to rebuild the area.

Mercy Corps:

Mercy Corps and their local partner China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) are reaching even the most remote communities up in the mountains and down in the valleys to assess and respond to their needs, with an initial focus on water and hygiene provisions.  People are still living in tents, their homes destroyed.  Within disaster relief, there are two distinct stages—response and development.  A mere three months since the earthquake have passed and Mercy Corps is preparing already to morph response efforts into development efforts.  They have already distributed more than 28,000 hygiene kits that include soap, toothbrushes, diapers, and health care essentials for families.  In addition, they have set up day care spots where children can play, freeing up their parents to work on rebuilding homes, businesses, and communities.  Finally, child psychosocial programs are helping children and families cope with the stress caused by the earthquake.  Since Sichuan province is increasingly earthquake-prone, Mercy Corps is also fueling efforts to help the communities develop early warning systems and have disaster preparedness plans in place.

Xintu Center for Community Health Promotion, S.H:

Dr. Fei Long made a field trip to Ya'an in Sichuan province two months ago and built up a relationship with a local NGO. This is an important step to planning, implement, and evaluation of the Xintu project in Ya'an. Partnering for capacity building of local NGOs on community mobilization and rebuilding, courses and trainings are being developed and funds are being raised. Dr. Fei Long also met a number of local government leaders and NGO volunteers in field. Long term community development is in the future!

Save the Children Federation:

Save the Children got right to work in Sichuan province after the earthquake, with rescue workers trying to pull as many people out of the rubble within the first 72 hours as possible.  Staff immediately arranged to go into the field to assess the damage and impact on the most vulnerable children and their families in the worst-affected areas of Ya’an and Lushan in Sichuan.  Beyond distributing numerous relief kits, food, medical supplies, and lanterns, Save the Children also was working in a place where roads were blocked, mobile communications poor, mudslides and flash floods emerging from the heavy rain, and chilly nighttime temperatures.  All of these elements have combined to greatly increase the need for help.  6 year-old Li Z, along with many other children, benefitted from the Friendly Spaces that Save the Children was opening up where the children could recover, learn, and play.

Thank you so much for your deep support and compassion.  Since it has only been a few months since the earthquake, we have much to do and we want you to be included in it!  GlobalGivers, you always change the world.