[ePrayer – Pray for the After-quake Development in Yaan Sichuan]
Since April 2013, CEDAR has been responding to the need of quake affected areas in Yaan Sichuan, from dispatching relief materials during the initial stage of emergency relief, to the third phase of post-quake rebuilding that is happening currently. In this May, CEDAR’s staff travelled once again to the quake areas – Chengdu, Yaan, Lushan and Tianquan – to re-assess the need and to follow up on the progress of after-quake development project. Although one full-year has passed, the frontline aid workers continue to serve the quake victims faithfully and with the same enthusiasm. Their heart is not shaken even though the rebuilding seems far to complete.
Uncle Yan and his wife are among the first volunteers in Yuxi village. They have been taking part in the relief work since the very early stage. They live their lives with the victims, helping them to pluck tea leaves and repair their houses. They do all these things without any external help. They share with us, ‘We have gained so much in the last 12 months.’ What Uncle Yan treasures most is the relationship with the villagers that is cultivated with sweat and tears.
The after-quake lives are full of difficulties. The victims need to face many problems, such as repaying the loan for rebuilding their houses, the education need of their children, and the shortage of medical services in the quake areas. The gradual withdrawal of the emergency relief agencies makes things even worse. CEDAR’s partner Genuine Love (Zheng Xuan Gong Yi, ZXGY) is one of the NGOs still rendering service in the quake areas, providing trauma counseling and education service, setting up parents’ self-help groups, taking care of the left-behind children, and visiting sponsored orphans and widows and poor households. Genuine Love aims and prays that not only physical infrastructure is re-built, but the victims regain their hope and faith, eventually restoring the relations with all people around.
In the quake areas, many victims incur a heavy loan in order to rebuild their houses. Unfortunately there are many elderly who are so poor and not qualified for a loan, so reluctantly living with their houses not repaired. They could only use plastic colored sheets or bamboo battens to cover up or support the damages, making them extremely pitiful. The volunteers of Genuine Love have visited them and given them some food, but many of their basic living needs are still unmet and will need close follow-up.
Pray for After-quake Development in Yaan Sichuan:
- More human and development resources are needed during the current rehabilitation stage, especially in those places without water, such as Weita, Shifeng and Cizhupo, where further assessments are waiting to be done. May our God provide in His way.
- The difficult terrain of Shuangshi Town hinders the rebuilding process and progressof poor households is extremely slow. Pray that God will specially take care of the left-behind elderly and provide for their basic needs.
- May God provide and train up more local people to take part in the after-quake development for being self-reliant.
- Pray that the school aid project will help many students and youth in continuing their education.
Relief Donation
- Cheque payable to ‘CEDAR FUND’
- Deposit to HSBC A/C No. 600-385678-001, enclosing with the Pay-in slip
- Visa/ Master Card (Download donation form)
- Online donation
(Please mark “Sichuan Yaan Earthquake Relief”)
[1] CEDAR is an approved charitable institutions and trusts of a public character under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Please click Inland Revenue Department website to check for details.
[2] Donations over $100 are tax deductible in Hong Kong with our receipts.
[3] Please DO NOT fax any donation information.
Contact Method
Tel>23819627
Fax>23922777
Email>sharing@cedarfund.org
Add>G.P.O. Box 3212Hong Kong
CEDAR’s Relief and Rehabilitation Work in Past: http://eng.cedarfund.org/relief/
CEDAR Approach on Relief and Rehabilitation: http://cedarfundeng.wordpresss.com/relief-approach/