A major part of the work of Sichuan-Quake-Relief is to act as an information hub and a connection point between donors and projects, which will involve reporting on the work of the many groups and projects in the region. Here is a short report from Simon, from one such group, the Chengdu’ers:
Last weekend we travelled with Zhu Hai volunteers up to the Mianyang/Jiangyou and Chenjiaba areas of Sichuan.
We had received aid parcels from the GAC school in Wuhan, Hubei province, and the people in this area of Sichuan had not been covered by the army yet. Again, basic food and some tents had arrived from government sources but mosquito repellents, sanitary towels, skin creams for the terrible weather (the last week has been hot and dusty for a few days, followed by a day or two of heavy rain) were in short supply.
Some of the houses look fine, once inside however it is clear that most of them will be demolished eventually. The government officers have been round and daubed characters on the houses: red for demolition, yellow for repair, blue or nothing for safe. The settlements are quite isolated; rice and vegetables are the area’s main produce. Behind one village the whole front of the escarpment had collapsed.
Most of Sichuan’s mountains are densely covered with trees and foliage, the earthquake has literally sheared some of them in half and anywhere you see brown or grey on the mountainsides are collapses or slides due to the quake. Our base was on the outskirts of Jiangyou City. The campsite was somewhat noisy — lorries carrying flat-pack temporary housing, which is becoming such a feature of the landscape.
We’re just a small group, no official name as such but have networked with Guangzhou and local Sichuanese volunteers. Liang Ya, Tom, Michael, Li Qing Wei, Tang Qing Yun and Xiao Gao make up the Chengdu’ers. This week we’re back to Pengzhou county to take supplies to a village hospital that’s had a small upsurge in patients so I’m just heading off to the medical wholesale place now.
