| Rebuilding Lives, Restoring Hope: China's Sichuan Earthquake a Year Later | |||||||||||||||||
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by Diane Allen |
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New York, NY, May 12, 2009--One year ago, on May 12, 2008, at 2:28 in the afternoon, the Longmenshan fault in Sichuan province, China, buckled and ripped in two. Whole towns and villages were reduced to rubble; school buildings collapsed like accordions. The Sichuan Wenchuan earthquake, named for its epicenter, was the strongest in China for nearly 50 years. In just two minutes the disaster would leave 70,000 dead, 400,000 injured, 18,000 missing, and millions of people without homes and livelihoods. Within five hours, the Amity Foundation, one of the main partners in China of The United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries, had staff in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, to begin assessing damage in some of the worst-affected counties. A day later, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) issued an emergency appeal and immediately dispatched $50,000 to Amity for relief work and rehabilitation efforts. Another $10,000 was released to Amity for work with the children left parentless after the quake. An additional gift of $5,000 went to the Sichuan Christian Council for work with church communities, including the Sichuan Theological Seminary in Chengdu, which suffered structural damage. A year later, the relief and rehabilitation efforts of the Amity Foundation have touched the lives of nearly 400,000 persons. Its projects have provided:
Christians in Mianzhu, one of the hardest-hit counties, rejoiced at the construction of a new Protestant church to replace the one irreparably damaged. Church attendance is up six-fold, and the church reports a worshiping congregation of 1,000 each Sunday. The First Months After 512 In China, the earthquake is commonly referred to as 512 (May 12), following the tradition to abbreviate important events after the date it occurred. Amity initially focused on the immediate needs and sufferings of the survivors. It distributed polyurethane sheets for shelters; rice, noodles, and cooking oil; clean drinking water, baby food, and quilts. In the hectic first few weeks, the scale of people's needs seemed overwhelming. Amity's practice of taking inventory and noting down the name of each person receiving help and the goods they received came under criticism by some organizations that felt Amity was not moving fast enough, according to Ms. She Hongyu, who directs Amity's research and development. Within a few short weeks, it became apparent that Amity's meticulous system of accountability ensured a fair and equal distribution of goods and helped to reduce "double-dippers." It wasn't long, Ms. She says, before the government sought Amity's help in putting into place those same principles of accountability for its emergency distribution work. Amity also sent a team of qualified psychologists and social workers to provide counseling and assess the social and psychological needs of traumatized persons in the villages of Mianzhu County, where it began concentrating its work. "Adults seemed the least psychologically equipped to deal with the disaster, as guilt feelings were strong," said Dr. Theresa Carino of Amity's Hong Kong Office. Approximately 9,000 children died in the quake, which struck in the mid-afternoon when local schools were still in session. The Chinese government estimates that nearly 7,000 school buildings collapsed or were severely damaged. The government's overall reconstruction plans assigned wealthier Chinese provinces to assist the hardest-hit regions in Sichuan. Amity's headquarters are in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province, and Jiangsu was assigned to help Mianzhu County, where 30,000 lost their lives. It is there, specifically in Woyun village, that Amity has focused its integrated rehabilitation work. One Year Later Amity's humble office in Woyun village belies its commitment to reconstruction work, which will extend over the next several years. A baseline study showed that 90 percent of the homes in Woyun had collapsed or were rendered unsafe for occupation. Together with the Hong Kong Institutes of Architects and Planners, Amity is assisting with the construction of quake-resistant homes using simple, affordable, and highly innovative technology. Villagers in Woyun also receive technical training in rebuilding their houses. Mr. Kwong Chun-Kin, a construction expert from Hong Kong, leads this training and wrote a manual to help unskilled villagers understand new seismic safety standards issued by the central government. The manual is so user-friendly it can easily be understood by villagers who cannot read. Amity's study also revealed that 95 percent of Woyun's farmers lost grain storage facilities when their homes collapsed. Traditionally, farmers in Woyun grow corn, wheat, and rice. Most of the farm work is done by women, who use their hands because agricultural machinery is unavailable and inappropriate for the steep local hills. With fields already planted, a whole season of grain was destined to perish without proper storage facilities. Amity met this need by providing 947 steel granaries. "No mice and no mold!" beamed one farmer about the benefits of this simple equipment that can be moved easily throughout the community. Organic fertilizer was also delivered to farmers who specialized in garlic production. Amity also organized a team of specialist volunteers from Nanjing's Ruihaibo Rehabilitation Hospital, who served at the People's Hospital in Mianzhu County, helping to rehabilitate hundreds of people who had been severely injured. New Church for Mianzhu A temporary church in Mianzhu was dedicated in January 2009. The event packed the space to overflowing, with people spilling out into the church's courtyard. Few Christians in Mianzhu lost their lives in the 512 quake, but the historical Mianzhu Protestant Church, built in 1923, was damaged beyond repair. Money was pledged for a temporary building, but in the meantime Mianzhu Christians persevered. They worshiped under tarpaulin tents, braving torrential rain, sometimes having to keep an overnight vigil to protect the tarpaulin covers. The congregation has grown from 180 members before the earthquake to nearly 1,000 worshippers every Sunday morning. Under the dynamic leadership of the Rev. Gu Yumei, still in her twenties, 108 were baptized on Christmas eve and three new preaching points have been established to assist new converts and seekers. When the earthquake hit, Pastor Gu was hundreds of miles away, attending graduate classes at the Nanjing Union Theological Seminary. For her, there was no question whether she would cut short her studies and return to her home area to be with the suffering. As part of her ministry at Mianzhu, Pastor Gu also offers pastoral and psychological counselling to congregational members. With the help of trained volunteers, she also manages a small medical clinic on the church's grounds. The new church has brought a sense of joy and hope to the community that had been plunged into despair by the events of 512. Protestant Christianity in China is post-denominational and accounts for approximately one to two percent of the total population. Resources See Amity's reconstruction work in Woyun, Sichuan 2009. Amity has made available photos of its relief efforts in Woyun through an online slide show compiled by Dr. Beate Engelen of Amity's Hong Kong Office. Visit amityfoundation.org and get to know the Amity Foundation better. Opportunities for Giving You may also contribute to Amity's ongoing work: Amity Foundation, Advance #11151A. Rural development, health, education relief, and rehabilitation across China. Amity Foundation, Church-Run Social Services, Advance #3020480. Helping churches in China provide social services and medical care to the elderly and needy. UMCOR's International Disaster Relief, Advance #982450. Be sure to earmark your gifts "China Sichuan Earthquake." Diane Allen is a Global Ministries missionary assigned as China Program Associate with the United Methodist China Program. This report was written with information from the Amity Newsletter and periodic updates from the Amity Foundation. You can support the ministry of Diane Allen by sharing your gifts through The Advance or by designated giving through your local church: Diane Allen, Advance #10163Z.
Date posted: May 12, 2009 |
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