Chengdu

This morning I did some interviews with CNN and NBC news before we visited the school with 130 young people evacuated from Wenchuan County. We met with Sichuan Population and Family Planning Commission who asked if we would co-ordinate trauma relief counselling training at the Chengdu University, the idea is to set up a team in Chengdu to help with counselling but also to bring in international trauma relief trainers that can train local councillors in Chengdu. We were told to o the warning of other aftershocks and the possibility of another earthquake many had taken to sleeping on the streets and there was a real concern for peoples psychological health. Yesterday evening we had an aftershock and another today, the government is warning of another earthquake.

Mingyang

We left Chengdu mid-day for Mingyang orphanage which is 170km north of Chengdu in a town called Zitong and closer to the epicentre over 10,000 people died in this region and 75,000 injured with 15,000 missing, on route we saw again many ambulances rescue teams and trucks with aid on the road. As we got closer the terrain became more mountainous and more and more damage could be seen to buildings most people had moved out into makeshift tents. As we went through Minyang it was clear the town was hit very hard many people sat on the side of the road starring into space.

Zitong

We arrived in Zitong I was surprised that no clean up had taken place with lots of rubble on the streets from collapsed buildings. At the orphanage we were met by the young director who clearly was in shock she told us that they had got all the children out of the orphanage safely, the orphanage is a right-off some collapsed areas other parts with large structural damage the children were living in tents. They had already received children from Anxian close to Beichuan it was a bit unclear if they were orphaned or still to find out about their families. We spent some time with two 10 year girls that had been evacuated from a school in Anxian they were clearly in shock but I managed to get a little smile from one of them when we gave them a Mei Mei doll. Care for Children has donated RMB 50,000 for emergency relief for nappies (no water for washing) food milk powder and clothing (100 sports suites for staff and children).

Monday 19th May 2008

Chengdu:

Today we visited the Chengdu Social Welfare Institutions we stood with the staff for the three minute of silence to commence a 3 day period of national mourning. It began at 2:28 pm, marking the very moment the massive quake struck in Wenchuan County, Sichuan. Flags flew at half-mast, the people wore white flowers and, heads bowed, held hands. Across the country, horns and sirens wailed in grief.

The staff at Chengdu were very upset and as I held the hand of the orphanage director she started to cry, the foster care team are all OK and all the families and the children placed in Chengdu are safe all the 500 plus children in the Chengdu Social Welfare Institutions were ok . Care for Children has donated RMB 100,000 to Chengdu Orphanage for emergency relief of nappies (no water for washing) food and clothing (1000 sports suites for staff and children). Care for Children have agreed to send a team to Chengdu to council the staff members.

Deyang:

Most of the roads out of Chengdu to the affected areas of the earthquake are closed or controlled by the army. With the approval of the Chengdu Civil Affairs we were allowed to visit the Deyang Social Welfare Institutions 63km north of Chengdu, the Chengdu Social Welfare Institutions gave us a car and driver. On the road there were constant convoys of up to 10 ambulances with flashing lights and sirens heading for Chengdu the other way a constant stream of trucks taking aid to the stricken areas. We also saw search and rescue teams that had come from Yunnan and Beijing.

Arriving in Deyang we were met by the Orphanage director who took us to the empty but battered small orphanage, the children (58 plus some old people) had been evacuated into some open land sleeping in relief tents there were two cots with about 12 babies in. The director then took us to see a man with both legs plastered (bandaged with rough plaster of cast) when the earthquake struck he got most of the children out of the building the last few were stuck so he climbed through a window and then with two children in his arms jumped out of the window breaking his legs.

Care for Children has donated RMB 50,000 to the Deyang Social Welfare Institutions for emergency relief of bedding, nappies, food and clothing. 100 sports suites will be sent to Deyang and we would like to send 100 small hygiene kits as a high priority for the children and staff.

We have just been given permission by the Civil Affairs to visit Mianyang Social Welfare Institutions 170 km north of Chengdu this is where most of the ambulances were coming from today, we have heard that the orphanage and the school was devastated by the earthquake. We will visit a school in Chengdu in the morning that has become home to 150 children that were evacuated from Wenchuan County.

Robert

Chengdu Sunday 18th May 2008

Desperate search goes on, death toll hits 32,476. I arrived at Chengdu airport late 10:30 in the dark, I have never seen so many planes in one airport, with lots of cargo and lorries moving it. The weather has got hot and is about 27c at 10:30 at night. On the way from the airport there was little sign of damage but lots of tents along the side of the road, as we entered the city many people were camped out on the pavements and many people were walking around with their beds. Every now and again there were buildings that had collapsed. Today we will go to the Chengdu and Dayang orphanage.

Blessings

Robert

CFC works with the Sichuan and Chengdu […]

The CFC Emergency fund will be used as follows:
Care for children will have a team in Chengdu from Monday to;
1) Distribute Emergency aid to our 11 orphanages in Sichuan
2) Manage and co-ordinate Trauma Counselling and Trauma Counselling Training for China Social Work Association
3) Two Lorries/Trucks are heading to Chengdu with aid from the international community’s of Beijing and Shanghai.

Reconstruction fund;
1) Care for Children will work with CSWA to construct a residential community centre in Wenchuan.
2) Care for Children will help with the reconstruction of orphanages, schools and communities effecting children we serve.
3) Care for Children will train local workers and future foster parents to take the orphans from the earthquake disaster.

Thank you to all those that have donated to CFC for this work.