23 June 2008
Isolated in the mountains of the Sichuan province, a small Chinese town was completely cut off by the devastating earthquake. The determined villagers chose to stay instead of walking to the nearest tent city so they could harvest their crops. But they were running out of food to eat and spending the cold nights without shelter, sleeping under the trees.
One of our SIM workers learned about this situation from a villager who came to the camp seeking medical help for her baby. He helped deliver tents and food to the 800 townspeople.
Focusing on Restoration
SIM and our partners have been involved in small-scale relief efforts like this one since the May 12 earhtquake. Now, we are transitioning from providing basic relief to restoring individual lives and rebuilding villages.
SIM and its partners are conducting training for those who are caring for traumatised children. Additional training programmes for caregivers, parents, and teachers will also be offered.
Many local believers and SIM workers are visiting the tent cities to listen to people tell their stories. One of our associates says this is meeting a great need. 'I find they need people to whom they want to talk.' He told the story of a couple he met: 'When the husband and wife started talking to me, tears were streaming down from their eyes.'
'The sorrow and mourning is beyond description,' another associate wrote. 'Two days ago, a group of young people at a tent city invited us up to see the graves of their classmates and teachers…"This was my teacher, this was my best friend, this was the best basketball player in the school," is what this group of 9th graders told us as we walked from terrace to terrace up the side of the mountain.'
Planning for Reconstruction
The 'adopt a village' focus will work in close partnership with local believers and officials to restore infrastructure to towns that have suffered extensive damage. Seeking to build long-term relationships with villages, our goal is to bring lasting hope by:
- providing equipment for schools and hospitals
- organising special activities for children displaced by the quake
- initiating agriculture projects
- offering micro-loans to help kick-start the local economy
While the initial media focus on the earthquake has ended, the real work of helping people recover from the disaster has only just begun.
Thank you for your partnership that is allowing us to provide compassionate relief.
